So many hard decisions
by Princessatsea
Summary: Bay is dating Tank, however the cloud of Ty's "cheating" is still up in the air. This story is set in the current time-frame of SAB, namely the start of season 3. The characters are mainly Bay/Tank/Mary-Beth/Kathryn/Ty. I can't choose Tank from the drop-down as he hasn't been added to Fanfiction yet.
1. Mary-Beth's revenge

_**Again I have no idea where the inspiration for this story came from. I guess it's a combination of missing Ty/Bay and at the same time really enjoying the current season. This will be a multi-chapter story.**_

Bay:

The rays of sunshine hit my face and I slowly opened my eyes. I lifted my right hand to shield them from the light, then winced when I felt the hard fabric of the bandage rubbing against them.

Slightly disoriented from the deep sleep I had been in, I tried to turn in the small bed and felt a body lying next to me. I turned around and saw Tank.

With a smile I remembered the events of last night. I had been invited to a frat party at Tank's dorm and had drunk a couple of beers, much to his displeasure. However, Tank was a big old cuddly bear and at one bat of my eyes he forgave me every sin.

Kathryn had left on another trip to New York and John was at Toby's house, so it had not been hard for me to make-up an excuse to stay with Tank.

Slightly embarrassed I remembered making some sort of advance on him, which he must have rejected as both of us were in our clothes. Probably for the better, as we had only kissed for the first time two days ago.

Stretching in the tiny bed I turned towards him and wrapped my arm around his wide chest. Leaning over I pecked his lips playfully.

Tank stirred and opened his eyes, blinking in confusion for the fraction of a second before letting a smile spread over his face.

"Well hello there doll, what a pleasant surprise to be woken-up like this."

I heard his deep voice with the fake New York accent and started laughing. Maybe Tank had been right when he said he would be good for me. I hadn't been this happy since I had found out about the art course in Berlin. I had been so over the moon then and only two days later everything had come crashing down around me. I shook my head to get Ty's image out of there. It hurt so much to think about him.

Tank pulled me towards him for another kiss. I happily complied. Then I just had to ask him.

"Tank, did anything happen last night?" I could feel the heat in my cheeks.

Tank looked at me with a serious expression.

"Bay, you are truly something else, I have never been in bed with someone so adventurous before."

I felt the heat in my cheeks even more and hid my face behind my hands.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry, I can't remember anything. I feel awful, how embarrassing, you probably never want to see me again."

I heard Tank's deep throated laugh.

"Nothing happened doll, I managed to resist your advances. Though next time I will most certainly not…!"

I let out an audible sign of relief and punched him playfully.

"You are a nasty piece of work Mr. Miles, and to think you had me fooled."

"Yes Bay, and to think that those three beers could have gotten you so drunk that you believe it, is something else. Will you listen to me next time?"

I felt his hand stroking my back and I moved closer to him. He was so big that I felt like a fragile piece of glass next to him. He made me feel safe. I felt him shift and look at me.

"You certainly look hung-over. Are you feeling ok?"

I lifted my head and smiled at him.

"I feel great."

Just as I said it I felt the bile rising in my stomach. I covered my mouth with my hand.

"Uh..oh…where's the bathroom, I'm feeling sick." I croaked.

""You'll never make it there, hold on."

I heard him rustle and then he was holding his trash can under my nose. I was terribly embarrassed.

"Bay, let go. I live in a frat house, I've seen much worse than this."

And with that I did and vomited into the bin. Tank held the hair away from my face and passed me a tissue. I came up for air.

"This is just great, on our first night together you have to see me like this." I panted.

Then the next wave of nausea hit me.

"Get it all out Bay and don't go to school if you don't feel like it." I heard Tank's voice next to me.

"I have to go, it's already suspicious enough that I haven't slept at home. I look a mess."

"You are the most beautiful person I've ever seen puking." Tank winked at me.

"I couldn't feel more sick or embarrassed right now." I said jokingly.

Funny enough this was one of these mortifying situations, however I wasn't feeling bad about it. Tank was just that kind of guy.

"Can I ask my lovely girlfriend out on a date tonight? I would like to say diner, but looking at you right now it might not be the wisest of plans."

I smiled at him.

"Let's call it a date then, can you collect me at 7?"

"It's a date!" Tank winked at me.

Tank:

I got out of bed and started gathering my clean clothes and headed for the shower. I whistled on the way there, feeling happy as I hadn't in years. It was still like something of a dream to me, that beautiful Bay had actually kissed me and seemed to want me as her boyfriend.

While I had no high hopes since the beginning, it had still felt like I had been punched in the gut when she told me that she wanted to be friends.

I was in a total state of shock when she kissed me in her bedroom and I still felt bad for having made her feel like I didn't want her, even if it was for the briefest of moments.

I didn't know anything about the scoundrels she had dated before, but it made me want to punch them so hard for having cheated on that amazing girl. On the other hand I couldn't help but feel a bit of glee as otherwise she would never have ended up with me.

There was still the cloud of the luau hanging over our heads, and while she seemed to be accepting of the fact that I had to fight for my rank in my fraternity, I knew that she hadn't forgiven me. My father would positively skin me alive if I left it for a girl. But at this moment I felt that it was worth it if it came to that.

Immersed in my thoughts I hadn't even realized that I had showered, changed and packed my books ready to head off to class.

I smiled and reminded myself that this could never happen to me while playing football, otherwise I would be kicked off the team immediately. Talk about being off my game.

I walked into the classroom 5 minutes late. It was packed. I looked around trying to find an empty seat and saw that the only seat available was next to that Mary-Beth girl.

I winced inwardly when I saw the thunderous expression on her face and stopped in my tracks.

"Coming late is a grave offence as it is, actually standing there and interrupting my class is a recipe for being thrown out."

I registered the voice of the professor and quickly made my way to the empty seat. I quickly sat down and smiled apologetically at Mary-Beth. In response she moved her chair as far from me as possible moving her papers along as with her.

"Great" I thought to myself "Just great"

When I thought it couldn't possibly get any worse, I heard the voice of the professor in the distance.

"Now I want you to turn to the person on your left and work on a solution to the problem on page 32 together. You have 30 minutes."

I heard Mary-Beth moan loudly next to me in protest and I found myself glancing at my wrist, hoping that my watch had miraculously moved to the other hand, effectively making my left hand my right hand.

It hadn't so I turned towards my "partner".

"Look, I'm really sorry about what happened. Please believe me that I had nothing to do with it." I raised my hands apologetically.

Mary-Beth just scoffed at me.

"I saw Bay on campus this morning." She said.

"Okaaay, did you talk to her?"

I felt slightly flushed and loosened the collar of my constricting polo shirt.

"She spent the night with you."

"Look, she did, but nothing happened."

I didn't really know why I was telling this girl I had never met about my newly acquired love life.

"I can't believe she's dating you after what happened."

"Listen, Mary-Beth is it? I told you I'm sorry, it wasn't my idea and I find it horrible and I wasn't going to the luau."

"Yes, but you also didn't do anything to stop it."

"I can't ok. Can we please focus on this page?"

Mary-Beth looked up and down at me, taking in my entire form. Looking at her face behind those studious looking glasses, she made me feel self-conscious.

"What do you know about Bay's ex boyfriends?" I heard her ask.

"Nothing apart from that they hurt her." I felt the anger come back.

"Right" I saw Mary-Beth nodding to herself.

"So, is there anything else to know?" I asked unnerved.

Mary-Beth seemed lost in thought for a second.

"Can I have your e-mail address?" She asked me.

I shook my head and scribbled it on her book page. She definitely was an odd one.

"Great." She said and started working on the page that we had to do.

For 20 minutes we managed to maintain an icy cordiality until we had found the solution for the problem in front of us.

Once the class was over I saw Mary-Beth quickly packing all her books and fumbling with her phone.

I got-up from my chair and placed my backpack over my shoulder.

"See you round, I guess." I really didn't have anything else to say.

I was dumbfounded when I saw her smiling sweetly at me.

"Sure, I've just e-mailed you."

I walked out of the classroom quite confused and made my way to the locker rooms for football practice.

I changed and shifted my focus to the upcoming try-outs. It wasn't until two hours later that I had showered and was sitting in the locker room with a towel around my waist that I remembered the mysterious e-mail.

I punched the combination into my locker and picked-up my phone. I saw that Bay had texted me.

**Feeling better diner does not seem that bad of an idea right now**

I smiled and texted her back

**Happy to hear 7 PM it is**

I saw that I had two e-mails and quickly located the one from Mary-Beth with the title _Last Summer_.

I opened it and glanced quickly over what she had written.

_Dear Tank, is it?_

_Just wanted to share with you a picture I took last summer down at Bay's parents' house, while we were all hanging out by the pool. That's Ty by the way, Bay's ex-boyfriend. He's currently in Afghanistan defending our country._

_Wishing you many more happy luaus._

_Mary-Beth_

I knew that I shouldn't open the photo, that nothing good would come out of it. Yet I did and my fears were confirmed.

I saw Bay in the most unflattering brown bathing suit standing next to a guy, who must have jumped straight out of GQ. His skin was glistening in the sun and Bay's hand was resting on the most defined abs I'd ever laid my eyes on. And hey, I've been playing football for years, so I've seen my share of naked male torsos.

As if that image wasn't distressing enough, the look of happiness on their faces added to the nausea I was feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I made the additional mistake of looking up and staring straight into the mirror. There hadn't been a time when I had felt more self-conscious about my body. I wasn't fat per se, just extremely big boned. I'd always been like this, ever since I was a child, and while I would've never been a gymnast, I had always felt that my body was made for football.

I stood up and checked the small flab in my abdominal area. I looked at the photo again and couldn't bring myself to delete it. How would I ever manage to take off my shirt in front of Bay after her last experience had been with GI Joe

I slowly got dressed and left the locker room slamming the door on the way out.

_**So I have no idea yet, where I'm going with this story. Let me know if you liked it.**_


	2. Insecurity

**Bay:**

My nausea improved during the morning, but my head was pounding. I knew I shouldn't have had those beers at the party, I knew I was underage and that my family did not exactly have the best of relationships with alcohol. Yet injuring my hand, witnessing my parents' separation, I just felt I needed to loosen up. I swore to myself to be more careful next time.

How had I managed to get wasted to a point that I didn't remember any advances I hade made on Tank, even as far as taking his word for granted that we had had sex?

Never again! I swore to myself.

I went into my bedroom to do some course work, but I just felt so tired. I looked at the time and saw it was two o'clock. Maybe I would just lie down for an hour.

I was woken up by my cell phone ringing. I drowsily opened my eyes and found it on the nightstand. I was surprised to see that it was dark outside. I looked at the screen and saw Tank's face. I smiled and picked-up.

"Hello" My voice sounded hoarse.

"Hey Bay, it's 7 PM, I'm outside your front door. Are you ok? You sound weird."

"7 PM? Are you serious? I'm so sorry, I wanted to have a little nap and I must have been more tired than I thought. I'll be right down."

I went downstairs and opened the door, shaggy hair and all. I was surprised as I wasn't really someone who had naps. The worse thing was that I still felt tired.

I smiled at Tank and pecked him on the lips. He leaned towards me for a longer kiss, but I pushed him back.

"Let me brush my teeth, freshen-up and change and I'll be right down."

"Ok, just let me tell you that you look gorgeous anyway."

I laughed, took his hand and led him to the lounge. Once he sat down I raced into my room, brushed my teeth and applied some discrete make-up, before changing into a red dress.

I picked-up my purse and went to join Tank, who whistled in appreciation.

"Wow Bay, you looked gorgeous, but now you look amazing. I should have brought flowers, I'm so sorry."

I just smiled at him and hooked my arm in his. He was such a sweet guy.

"So, where're we going?" I asked.

"I was thinking of a little Italian downtown."

"Well, I'll let you surprise me."

I got into his car and we sped-off into the night.

**Tank:**

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Bay in that red dress. She looked like a Goddess, which did not exactly help the insecurity I'd been feeling the whole afternoon.

I parked the car strategically downtown, as I wanted to lead Bay down one specific street. I opened the door for her and offered my hand.

Together we strolled along the street, while I was pointing out random things in the shop windows.

I stood in front of my target building and took a deep breath. Here we go!

"Look Bay, what is this place, it must be new, I don't recall seeing it before."

Bay looked at the shop front indifferently.

"It's an army recruiting place, they have them everywhere these days."

I stopped to admire the poster of a Navy Seal pushing out of the muddy water.

"Wow, just look at that guy, he's built like a tree. These guys must work-out so much to get bodies like that."

Bay cocked her head to the side and looked at the poster.

"Yeah, I guess." I heard her say.

"I mean, I could work out for 12 hours a day in the gym and never look like that."

I just babbled along trying to make conversation. I saw Bay smile.

"Some things are genetic I guess, I could work out in a gym for 12 hours and never look like Heidi Klum."

I laughed nervously.

"Are you into gyms and working out and stuff like that?"

The look of disgust I saw on Bay's face was priceless.

"Ewwwhhh, no. I can't recall ever being in one. They are filthy, disgusting places created to make us suffer."

"I mean, these guys, they must be able to go on forever and ever."

Bay squeezed my hand and started pulling me away.

"I'm starving, can we go now please."

I looked for any changes in Bay's face on the short way to the restaurant, but I could see none. Damn Mary-Beth and that e-mail.

The waiter led us to a private table in the back and Bay immediately asked for a menu, which she studied in silence.

"Are you ok?" I asked.

"I'm so hungry, I don't know what came over me. I could eat a cow."

I laughed.

"Maybe we should have gone to that Brazilian all you can eat meat feast then."

"No, this is fine." Bay mumbled with her mouth full as she dove into the garlic bread.

I beckoned the waiter over and heard Bay order the Carpaccio as an appetizer and the Veal Piccata as a main course. She certainly seemed to be over the hangover. I ordered a Caprese salad and was met with a look of disgust.

"You're only having a salad?" Bay asked me in astonishment.

"Yeah, I think I need to watch my waist line a bit." I said patting my mid-section.

"Oh please Tank, let's not go on a guilt trip here, you need the strength for your football, order something substantive."

I was actually quiet hungry and I didn't want to upset my girlfriend, so I ordered a pepperoni pie instead. Bay beamed at me.

We chatted about her art and my football try-outs all the way through our starter and when the main course came, I saw that Bay was struggling with cutting her veal. I got off my chair and moved to stand behind her. I gently took the knife from her bandaged hand and the fork from the other and cut her piccata into small pieces.

"Better?" I asked her.

Bay placed her good hand on top of mine.

"You're so sweet. Thank you, that's much better."

I watched as Bay devoured her food and ordered Canolli for dessert. I was happy to see a girl with a healthy appetite.

I insisted on paying the bill, much to Bay's protests that she had eaten her way through the entire menu and we walked back to the car hand-in-hand.

"Wow Tank, I feel so much better now."

She snuggled into me and I put my arm around her shoulders.

Once we were in my car, she leaned over for a kiss and I happily complied.

"Where to now, doll?" I asked her in the accent she loved so much.

"Your room for an hour or so?" She said it in a southern twang and batted her eyelids at me.

I felt my confidence going.

"Are you sure? I mean, you must be tired from yesterday and stuff, don't you want me to take you home?"

"Ok" She smiled happily and I felt that punch in the gut again "My room for an hour then."

She ran her hand across my thigh and I groaned.

"Ok" I said since there seemed no way out for me.

**Bay:**

What a sweet, sweet guy, I thought to myself as Tank safely navigated the car through the streets of KC. It was so easy being with him, he made me feel safe and wanted. I had definitely made the right decision in initiating that kiss three days ago.

We arrived at the Kennish' house and I led Tank up to my room. I motioned for him to sit on my bed and once he had I sat sideways on his lap and put my hands around his broad neck. I looked into his eyes.

"You're so beautiful." He said to me and I smiled at him.

"I'd like to give you that kiss now I promised you earlier when you collected me."

"I'd like that very much."

For the next ten minutes we kissed, exploring our mouths with our tongues, taking the previous kisses to a more passionate level. I felt his hand stroking my back and I slowly ran my hand under his shirt and stroked his naked chest.

I felt him tensing at that point and he pulled back.

I looked at him confused.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing's wrong, I just think we should stop now and I should head home."

I looked at him in disappointment.

"But…but…I have the house to myself, I thought we could…"

I saw him get up and straightening his clothes.

"Look Bay, I don't think it's a good idea for us to do this today."

I felt that wave of rejection again; the happiness that had flowed through me for the past three days vanished.

"You…you don't want me?" My voice trembled.

Tank looked distressed as he sat down next to me.

"Of course I want you! I've never wanted anyone more in my life."

"Then what's the problem?" I was even more confused now.

I saw him run his hands through his hair.

"I'm not sure you'll want me."

I raised my eyebrows.

"Not want you? Of course I want you. Otherwise I wouldn't have dragged you into my room."

I heard him take a deep breath.

"Look, I saw a photo of Ty, ok."

Now I was really confused.

"A photo of Ty? Which Ty? My Ty?"

As soon as I said that, I could have punched myself. My Ty? That was not going to help.

Tank groaned next to me.

"Oh Bay, I hate cocktails, but I so much wished you meant a Mai-Tai just now."

I couldn't really feel any worse about myself.

"Tank, I didn't mean it that way. I meant it as someone associated to the circle of people I know. There's nothing between Ty and me. It's over."

"Is he the guy you told me about? The one who said he loved you and you didn't say it back?"

I rolled my eyes. This was not going well.

"Yes, he told me he loved me, two days later he slept with his army buddy on my brother's wedding day, mere hours after we had sex on that same bed. Ty's an asshole and I don't ever want to see him again."

I took his hand in mine.

"Tank, you're the one I want to be with, please believe me, please don't reject me."

He looked at me with eyes full of hurt.

"You know Bay, when you told me I imagined some acne ridden high-school kid with a crush on you. When I saw that photo I crashed."

I suddenly realized that I didn't know anything about the said photo.

"Hold on Tank, how did you see a photo and how did you get it?"

I listened as Tank told me about meeting MB in class and how this was her revenge for him not trying to stop the luau. I was furious. I agree that the luau had been a terrible idea and a part of me still thought that Tank should've done more to stop it. On the other hand MB had no right whatsoever to intimidate my boyfriend in such a way that it put my relationship at risk.

"Show it to me." I held my hand out.

"Bay…I don't think that…"

"Show it to me!" I was starting to get impatient.

Tank fumbled in his pocket and took out his phone. He opened his e-mail and handed me the phone without looking at it.

I glanced at the photo. Nice one MB, I would never forgive her for this. I hadn't seen the photo before myself and remembered that day when Ty decided to enjoy his free day working on his tan and had slathered baby oil all over his body. The result had been…well I better not dwell on that too much. Ty's body was amazing on any given day, but the tan, the bathing shorts and the glistening skin defining every muscle didn't help.

"Yep, it's Ty." I handed the phone back to Tank "You can delete that now. I'm going to kill Mary-Beth."

Tank took the phone back and put it in his pocket.

"Bay, have you looked at that guy…I mean forget what I just said…of course you have looked at him. Have you looked at me?"

"Tank, is this really what this is about? Your body? So what if Ty had good genes, you're still the better person. I want to be with you!"

Tank looked more relieved.

"Are you sure?"

I leaned over to kiss him.

"I am so very, very sure. Is this what this date was all about? Ty? The army recruiting center, you ordering a salad?"

Tank nodded contritely.

I laughed loudly, then sat back of his lap and hugged him.

"Oh Tank, if it weren't so sad it would be funny!"

I was rewarded with a smile.

"I guess it was a bit stupid. Have you dated any ugly guys I can see photos of instead?"

I slapped his shoulder.

"Hey, don't push it, I ONLY ever date the most handsome guys! That's why I picked you after all."

I yawned.

"Ok gorgeous, let's call it a night, you're upset at your friend and tired and I have a long day tomorrow."

"You sure?" I asked him.

"Yes, and tomorrow we'll have an amazing date."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

_**Thank you for the reviews and follows and favorites! It means a lot to me. **_

_**This story will be different that the ones I have written before. It will be angsty and bring out the darker side in the characters, starting with MB. I've never gone in that direction, so your feedback is important to me. **_

_**I have given some subtle hints for the future of the story and I'm sure you picked them up.**_

_**Are you ready for Bay to fight with MB?**_


	3. More suprises

_**Warning: Sexual content at the end of this chapter. Please don't read if it offends you.**_

**Mary-Beth**

I was just completing the project for my Theology elective, when I heard my phone ringing.

It was Bay. I sighted as I knew this was not going to be pretty.

"Hi Bay." I said into the phone.

"Mary-Beth, how could you? How could you do this to him? How could you do this to me? I thought we were friends!"

There we go. Bay sounded absolutely livid.

"Look Bay, I'm sorry to have hurt you, I didn't want that. It's just that I'm so angry at that fraternity and I needed a way to get back at them."

I ran my hand through my hair.

"MB, I told you this morning I was dating him, you knew he was my boyfriend. That photo you sent is private and you took it upon yourself to e-mail it to him. He's a good guy MB, he's a really good guy."

I heard a sob on the other end. Could Bay be crying? Oh no!

"If he's a really good guy, why didn't he stand-up to his fraternity?"

"MB, it's complicated ok, you had no right to send that picture. He makes me happy. What were you trying to achieve?"

I sighed loudly.

"I don't really know Bay, I guess I wanted him to feel the hurt I felt when I was branded ugliest date."

Bay was still crying, I could hear that. I was confused, I could take on an angry Bay, but a crying Bay was another matter.

"So by dangling Ty over him, you wanted him to feel ugly?"

"I guess so, look, it was childish and stupid and I shouldn't have done it. I was hurt and I let my feelings get the better of me. I'm sorry."

"MB, Ty hurt me even worse than Emmett did, because I was actually sleeping with him. I slept with him the same day he cheated on me. I never, ever want to date a guy like that again, you understand?"

"Look Bay, I…"

I debated as I had so often, whether I should tell her the truth. However, I remembered the e-mail from last week, Ty remaining adamant that she not know, making me promise him that I would keep my mouth shut every time he wrote

"No MB, I don't want to hear, I need a guy like Tank, I need a good guy, not one where I'm afraid to close the door and next thing I know, another woman is in there."

"Bay, will you forgive me?"

I heard another sob on the other side.

"No MB, I never want to see or speak to you again."

I tried to speak, but she had hung-up. I sat back on my bed and let the tears stream down my face.

**Bay:**

I wiped my face and buried my head into my pillow, sobbing. I didn't know what had brought on this crying, I normally didn't when I was angry. I felt sorry for Tank, no one deserved what MB had done. After some time I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

I was woken-up by the front door slamming shut at 6AM. I sat in bed startled, then I remembered that my mom had taken the red-eye from New York. I pulled on a dressing gown and went downstairs.

I saw my mom in the kitchen and I went to hug her. She looked at me critically.

"Bay, so good to see you. Did you get on alright? You look odd."

"I'm fine mom, it's good to see you too. How was New York?"

"It was amazing. Listen Bay, we need to talk."

Oh no, that did not sound good. I poured myself a coffee, something my mother didn't really like, but had accepted. I sat at the island.

"Shoot." I took a sip of coffee.

"Bay, this last month has been hard on me. The stuff with your father, it took a toll. I realized that I'm 52 years old and have never really done anything for my own independence."

I saw my mom take a deep breath.

"Anyway, this publisher in New York, they offered me a job as an Editor. It has a decent salary and I would really like to take it."

I looked at my mom with my moth gaping open.

"You're moving away? You're leaving me?"

Kathryn ran her hands across her face.

"No Bay, I am explaining what happened. If I accept I'll need to leave next month. You could finish your senior year and stay with your dad for six months, then maybe join me in New York."

"Wow" I said.

"However, if you don't want me to go I won't. You and Toby will always be my first priority, always! There will be other jobs."

I paused to think and placed a hand on my stomach. A wave of nausea seemed to hit me out of nowhere. I took a few deep breaths.

"No, mom, there won't be any other jobs. You're over 50 and it's a bad economy. You should take it. I'll be fine, I was planning on graduating two months early anyway."

I saw Kathryn's eyes moistening over as she pulled me into a hug.

"Oh Bay, where's my little rebellious girl gone? I'm not sure I like grown-up, mature Bay."

I smiled.

"Guess that's what being an adult is all about!"

Kathryn hugged me closer to her.

"You are a wonderful daughter, you couldn't make me prouder. Can I buy you lunch today?"

"I can't today mom, today is the day this horrible thing is coming off."

I waved my right hand in front of my mom's face.

"And there's no way that this will be delayed a minute."

Kathryn looked mortified.

"Oh Bay, I'm so sorry I forgot. Should I come with you?"

"No, you get some beauty sleep. You'll need it after being on that flight."

"Ok Bay, but if you change your mind, you call me!"

I went back upstairs to shower and change and saw a message from Tank asking about my plans for the day. I told him about my cast and he agreed to meet me at Carlton at lunch time and take me to the doctor.

I accepted his offer and left for school.

**Tank:**

I parked at Carlton and sent Bay a text with the number of my spot. I felt happy, somehow the doubts I had felt yesterday had dispersed and I just wanted this relationship to work. I swore to myself that I'd be the best boyfriend she ever had.

A few minutes later I spotted her in the distance and I got out of the car to greet her. She jumped into my arms and kissed me.

"I'm so happy to see you and so happy to finally get this thing off."

She waved her right hand at me and I faked disappointment.

"Does that mean that I won't be cutting the food for you anymore?"

She laughed and it was music to my ears.

"It sure does, but wait and see what I'm able to do with both my hands."

She gave me a seductive wink and I nearly lost it there and then.

"If you want we can go back to my dorm, I'm sure there's a saw somewhere."

She punched me playfully and got into the car.

We arrived at the medical center and only had to wait 15 minutes until we were called in. An efficient looking male nurse removed the cast in less than 10 minutes and Bay scrunched up her face a bit when she saw the withered skin on her arm.

"Doesn't look very attractive, does it?" She scoffed.

The nurse smiled.

"It'll be as good as new in a couple of hours."

He handed Bay a pen.

"Can you sign here, please?"

Bay picked-up the pen, but dropped it the same second. I'll never forget the horrified look on her face when I handed it back to her. She was flexing her hand.

"Tank…I can't…I can't feel anything."

The nurse looked-up from his paperwork. He looked at Bay's hand with a concerned expression.

"Hold on, I'm calling a doctor."

We waited for an agonizing hour, Bay kept flexing her hand lost in thought and I didn't know what to say.

Finally a doctor came and after looking at the hand I was asked to wait outside, while they ran further tests.

Two hours later after two ultra-sounds and several x-rays, we were called in to see the doctor.

"Doctor, please tell me what's going on?" Bay didn't waste any time.

"Ms. Kennish, I've been looking at the x-rays and I have sent them to a colleague at the hospital for a second opinion. The bad news is that the tendons are damaged, the good news it that they can be corrected with a minor surgery."

I closed my eyes.

"Surgery, oh no! Doctor, I want to go to art school, I paint. What does this mean?"

"I'm sorry Ms. Kennish. If we schedule surgery in the next couple of days and with aggressive physiotherapy after, you could gain full control in a matter of three months."

I looked at Bay and saw the tears in her eyes. My heart went out to her.

"Can we do it tomorrow?"

"Let me see what I can do Ms. Kennish. Let's take some blood to expedite the process."

One hour later I dropped a shocked Bay off at home. I asked if I should come in, but she declined and asked me to collect her at 7. I decided to use the following hours to catch up on my studies.

**Bay:**

I walked straight up to my mom's bedroom, where I sat on the bed and finally allowed myself to break down. I let the tears flow as I told her about the news and mom called dad straight away, who arrived thirty minutes later.

For the next hour we surfed doctor Google as we looked for more information and I promised my parents that I would take them with me to my next appointment.

I made-up an excuse that I had to go and speak to my art teacher at college to explain and texted Tank that I'd meet him at his frat house.

I had a shower and washed my hair and chose lacy underwear. I felt like I needed a major distraction tonight and was planning on seducing Tank. I went into my secret stash behind my bed and picked-up 2 condoms. A girl could never be too prepared!

I arrived at the frat house and rang the door bell. Tank opened the door, wearing a fedora and holding a bouquet of flowers in his hand. When he saw me he took off his hat with a flourishing gesture, handed me the flowers and beckoned me inside.

I smiled, thanked him with a kiss and stepped into the kitchen.

"It's so quiet in here." I tried to listen for any activity.

"There's a big game going on and everyone went to watch it at the other frat house."

"And you?"

"I had better things to do!" He said with a wink.

I looked around the kitchen properly for the first time.

"Tank, why are there towels everywhere?"

"I wouldn't lift them if I were you. We're pigs that's all I can say."

I laughed and put my arms around his neck. I kissed him. I felt his arms around me and he responded to my kiss.

After a few minutes our kisses became more passionate and he lifted me easily and sat me down on the kitchen counter. I pulled him between my legs and ran my fingers through his hair.

I kept noticing that even as Tank became more passionate, he still treated me like I was made out of glass. I liked it. After a few moments I broke the kiss.

"Is your room any cleaner? Should we go there instead?"

"My precious doll, my room is cleaner than ever, I would like that very much."

He picked-me up like I weighted 10 pounds and carried me to his room. I looked around and saw that he had draped t-shirts over the lights. I felt a momentary pang, but recovered immediately.

Once I was back on the floor, we continued kissing and I pulled at his shirt, which he removed at the same time as I took-off mine.

He looked me in the eyes.

"Are you sure you want this?"

I took his face into my hands.

"I've never been surer."

Tank placed his left hand on top of my right and moved it to his lips. He planted a few gentle kisses on the scar on my palm.

"How're you feeling about this?"

"I'm sad, angry, but also resigned to my fate and hopeful that the surgery will work out."

I pulled his head towards me and we continued kissing. He slowly stroked my back and ran his hands over my bra.

I gasped.

"You're beautiful." He whispered in my ear.

I backed-up towards the bed and plopped off my shoes. I lowered myself on it and pulled him on top of me.

I nearly cried out when I felt his urgent need pushing into my center and he groaned loudly.

After a few minutes he lay next to me and reached for the clasp of my bra. I assisted him and heard him moan when the constricting garment came off.

"Oh Bay!"

He reverently kneaded my flesh and the look on his face told me that I'd been right in wanting to take things further.

I arched my back and let his mouth explore.

He ran his hand along my body and rested it on my center. I was ready to combust. We looked at one another and with a nod we got up and discarded our pants. I heard him mutter "Oh Bay!" once more when he saw me and I smiled.

We continued exploring each other, quickly discovering what moves we found particularly pleasurable and we moved along slowly.

When we finally made love it was sweet and tender and I felt utterly satisfied as I lay in his arms after.

"Tank, that was amazing!" I said as I ran my hand across his naked chest.

"Bay, I'm speechless, that was the best time of my life." He said slightly out of breath.

I laughed quietly and relaxed against his shoulder. We lay for another half hour and then made love again.

I couldn't really class myself as being experienced in bed, after all I'd only had one lover before Tank. I wanted to avoid drawing a comparison, I wanted to avoid anything Ty related at all, but this was one of those times when it was unavoidable.

My favorite place in the whole world had always been Disney World. I had been five times with Toby and my parents and it had been the best holidays ever.

Thinking of my two favorite rides I compared Ty's lovemaking to Space Mountain: unpredictable, wild, exhilarating, powerful and breathtaking.

Tank was more of a Jungle Cruise: genteel, slow, funny, and full of little pleasant surprises around every corner.

I masked a smile at my comparison to the house of mouse and lost myself in the moment.

_**I'm so happy to find so many familiar names in the reviewers and I'm so glad you're enjoying this story.**_

_**I hope you like this chapter, my inspiration is there, so I'll just keep posting until I need a break. **_

_**Things will go downhill from here. I hope that you'll still enjoy it though.**_


	4. And the world comes crashing down

I woke-up feeling refreshed. I thought about last night and smiled. Thinking about our lovemaking brought a shudder through my body. I never thought that I would be able to move on from Ty in just two months. Now I only needed to get my hand sorted out and then life would be perfect again.

I heard a message coming through on my phone. It was Tank.

**Tank: How did you sleep gorgeous?**

**Me: Like a log. Someone tired me out.**

**Tank: I miss you Bay. Talk later?**

I showered and got dressed and had breakfast with my mom. Just as I had parked the car at Carlton my cell phone rang. Must be Tank! I smiled as I picked-up the phone, then frowned at the officious sounding voice at the other end.

"Ms. Kennish?"

"Yes, that's me."

"This is Dr. Weissman here. I need you to come in and see me today."

"Is it about the surgery? I need to call my parents as they want to come with me."

"Ms. Kennish, please come and see me alone for the time being. I got your blood

work back from the lab."

My heart nearly stopped.

"Is everything ok?"

"Ms. Kennish, let's discuss when you get here."

"I'll come straight away."

I drove to the hospital as quickly as possible and raced through the doors. I identified myself at the reception and was made to wait an agonizing 30 minutes before I was called in to see Dr. Weissman.

I didn't even give him enough time to sit down.

"Doctor, is something wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong per se Ms. Kennish, other that we can't do the surgery right now."

I looked at the doctor flabbergasted.

"Why…Why not…I need my hand to paint." I stuttered.

Dr. Weissman looked at the paper in front of him.

"Ms. Kennish, you're pregnant."

The world came crashing down around me. I laughed nervously.

"Doctor, that can't be, I…I only slept with my boyfriend yesterday after the blood work was done…I…"

He interrupted me.

"Ms. Kennish, when did you last have your period?"

I frowned.

"I…oh my God… I can't remember." I sat back stunned.

"Right, I'm scheduling an ultrasound straight away. Is there anyone you want to call?"

"I don't…" I placed my face in my hands "No, there's no one."

I was led to another room and laid down in a state of trance. The fresh-faced ultrasound technician smiled at me, then turned serious when she saw the look on my face.

"Ms. Kennish, is it? Please lift your shirt, this won't hurt, I promise."

I vaguely remember the feeling of cold on my stomach, as the technician rubbed some sort of gel on me. Then I felt the machine running over my belly. The technician worked silently and efficiently, making notes on the screen as she went along with the exam.

At one point she looked like she wanted to say something, but then thought better of it and remained silent.

I was led into the waiting room once more until I was called in to see the doctor again.

I sat down in silence and looked at him.

"Ms. Kennish, from the look of this ultrasound it seems that you're about 9 weeks into the pregnancy. Can you recall anything?"

I flipped through the pages of his calendar and counted 9 weeks back. Second week of August. I tried to remember and it put the date of conception around the time we celebrated the Deaf Day at Maui.

I heard the voice of the Doctor in the distance.

"Ms. Kennish, can you recall having had intercourse around those days?"

I blinked at him.

"What? Ehmmm yes…I…I need to go."

I got-up with tears in my eyes and heard the doctor saying something about scheduling an OB-Gyn visit and pre-natal care, but I was already out the door.

It wasn't until I was in my car that I allowed myself to break down. How could this have happened? We'd always been so careful, we'd never once had done it without a condom. What was I going to do? I wouldn't have an abortion, of that I was certain.

I sat there for another hour, then drove absent mindedly through town ending up in front of Tank's frat house. I debated on whether to go in or to leave, but I realized that I had nowhere else to go.

I knocked at the door and one of Tank's fraternity brothers answered the door. I could see him prepared to do a snide remark, but when he saw my face he wisely kept his mouth shut.

"Tank's not here, but you're welcome to wait in his room."

I nodded at him and made my way into Tank's room where I laid on the bed. I couldn't believe I had been so happy here this morning and now all I could feel was despair. My parents were going to kill me, Ty could never know.

An idea started forming in the back of my battered mind. I started crying again and that's how Tank found me two hours later.

**Tank:**

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Bay in my bed; crying Bay, not happy Bay. I raced to sit next to her and took her bad hand in mine.

"Bay, what happened?"

She started sobbing and I was at a loss.

"I went to see the doctor today."

My heart skipped a beat, was her hand damaged forever?

"Already? Did you go with your parents? What happened?"

She looked at me while wiping her tears.

"I went by myself. Tank, you're going to hate me!"

"I could never hate you Bay. Please talk to me."

"I'm pregnant". She hid her face in her hands.

I just sat there dumbfounded. Bay was pregnant? When…how? I was at a loss of what to say, which didn't improve matters as Bay rose and was heading for the door.

"Bay….wait!"

"No, it's ok, I'll go. I don't even know why I came here, after all it's not your responsibility. I just didn't have anywhere to go."

I reached for her hand.

"Bay, please, you did well in coming. It's just that this is a shock. Sit, let's talk."

I pulled her onto my lap.

"There's nothing to talk about. I'm 9 weeks along, it's Ty's. I just don't know how. We never had unprotected sex. Never!"

I winced at her words.

"Will you…are you keeping it? Did you tell him?"

She forcefully squeezed my hand.

"Tank, he can't know! You can't tell anyone! Promise me!"

I took a deep breath. This was new territory for me.

"Ok" I muttered.

"Tank, after we kissed, I was happy. I thought we had a chance. Now I'm asking you to be my friend again."

I pulled her closer to me and stroked her hair.

"Shhhh Bay, don't say that. There's always a solution, it doesn't mean we have to break-up."

She hiccupped.

"It does Tank. See, I'm leaving."

I felt like I had been punched in the gut.

"You're what?"

"I can't have an abortion, I just can't. My father is going to kill me when he finds out about this, plus he's a politician. I'm going to ask my mum to take me to NewYork with her. I'll graduate in March as planned and the baby is due in May. I'll give it up for adoption."

I looked at her dumbfounded.

"Bay, you need to think about this. You've just heard the news."

"Yes and all I've been doing is thinking. If all goes to plan no one outside my family besides you will know about this. I'll come back and continue my life as if nothing happened. That's why you need to promise me not to tell."

"I promise Bay. But I also promise you that life will never go on as if nothing happened. You're giving up your son or daughter. Nothing will be the same after that."

"It's for the best." She sounded resigned and defeated.

"Bay, whatever happens, I want to be there for you. I don't want to lose you, you hear. My parents are on the East Coast, I'll come and see you as often as I can. We'll get through this."

A tiny smile flickered across her lips.

"Oh Tank, it's not fair on you, you shouldn't be burdened with this."

I ran a thumb across her cheek.

"Hey, look at me. See how big I am? I can carry a lot of weight."

She kissed me then. We kissed for a long time, then she pulled back.

"Thank you. I've got to go now. I've got to tell my parents."

I held her close.

"You want me to come?"

She smiled a sad smile.

"Not if you value your life. You haven't met my father and I don't want him to mistake this for something else if he sees you with me."

**Slightly shorter chapter here. I wanted to make it longer, but I felt that it had to stop here. I broke my own rule of never writing about teenage pregnancies, as I am not a fan of such plots. But, rules are made to be broken. Are you ready to see the worse side of John? Grateful for all the reviews so far.**


	5. John's meltdown

_**Bay:**_

With a heavy heart I had called both my parents and had told them to meet me at home at around 4. They both confirmed I headed for home.

They were already there when I got in and I sighed inwardly at the bomb that I was about to drop. My father was still wearing his jacket, obviously expecting us to head out again straight away.

"So Bay, what time is the appointment?"

My father was trying to sound cheerful, but I could tell that he was worried.

"I've already been. I can't have the surgery."

There…I said it. My parents looked at me puzzled.

"You went without us?" My mother asked sounding hurt "I thought we agreed…"

"I'm pregnant."

I had never been one to talk much around the bush and definitely not in this situation. There was silence. All the air seemed to have been sucked out of the room.

"You're WHAT?" My father raised his voice.

My mom had turned white as a sheet.

"You heard me, I'm pregnant, expecting a baby due in May."

I saw my mom calculating, then she just said "Ty."

"Yes" I confirmed.

"You've got to get rid of it." My father said in an icy voice.

I felt my blood boiling.

"I don't HAVE TO DO anything, I'm 18 and even if I weren't I wouldn't let you force me into an abortion."

"And how are planning to support yourself and the baby? Did 18 bring you a pot of gold?"

I knew that my father was as furious as I'd never seen him.

"I'm going to give it up for adoption"

My mother had still not said a word. She sat on the couch and laid her head into her hands.

"Bay, this is the one thing that I never wanted to happen." She said in a low voice.

"Well mom, I didn't either, but it did and I need to live with it. You know what's even worse. We were so careful, so very, very careful."

I started crying.

"Not careful enough it seems." My dad scoffed.

"Have you called Ty?" My mother asked.

"No, mum he must never, ever know. I have a plan."

John clapped his hands together once.

"And she has a plan, fantastic." He said sarcastically.

I ignored him for the time being and turned to my mom.

"Please let me go to New York with you, I'll graduate early. Now that I can't do any art, I could graduate as early as March. The baby will come in May and I'll give it up and come back here and continue with my life. No one outside our family needs to know."

Kathryn took a deep breath.

"Bay, what about your friends, Carlton? I'll be at work the whole day, I can't give you the adequate support."

"What friends? I hardly have any, I fought with Emmett, I fought with MB, Daphne is at the clinic all the time. As for Carlton it's a mess right now."

My father was strangely quiet, which meant that he was about to erupt.

"Bay, I'm embarrassed for you and this family. You never think of anyone but yourself. I'm a politician; you're taking me down with you if this comes out. You won't be seeing one single cent from me to help you support that army bastard child if you decide to keep it, do you understand?"

My mouth dropped open.

"DAD!"

"You don't get to dad me, not now. First Daphne now you! You two do nothing but disappoint me."

I opened my mouth but he interrupted me.

"No, I'm talking now. If your mother accepts to take you with her, fine. In any case, I don't want to set eyes on you until after that baby is adopted, do you understand?"

I was too shocked to say anything. Of all the things I was expecting, this was not one of them.

"See you around Bay." He picked-up his keys and left.

I broke down.

"Oh my God, oh my God, mom, he said he doesn't want to see me anymore."

Kathryn laid her hand on mine.

"He's upset Bay, he'll come round. I'm upset at this as well."

"Mom, please take me with you, please. New York has the best Deaf school in the country, but now I can't go because I can't sign and I can't read lips. I'll go to a public school, I'll work so hard, I promise. Then in September I'll go to college."

"Oh Bay, of course you can come. I wouldn't leave you here on your own. I'm just worried that you'll be bored. I can stay here with you."

"No, absolutely not! I can't stay here. Dad was right; I cannot ruin his career like that. Plus someone will see and tell Ty."

Kathryn sighed.

"Maybe it's for the best we get a change of air then."

_**Tank:**_

The following month was perhaps one of the best of my life. Bay's mother seemed to have accepted the circumstances, not that she really had a choice in the matter. Bay spent all her spare time with me and while she was upset, she decided that the best thing was to make the best out of the circumstances.

Her father had not been in touch since he heard the news, and I was so angry at him for making his daughter go through so much suffering. Although Bay didn't mention him, I knew that it was hard on her.

The rest of the family had been notably shocked and angry, but had vowed to keep secrecy. The only one who seemed resigned to the matter was Adriana, who probably had seen much worse things happen in her lifespan. She was the one who managed to calm down Regina and Angelo.

Today was our last day together and tomorrow Kathryn and Bay would be driving to New York. I had asked Bay whether she wanted to spend the day with her family, but she was adamant that it would only make her feel worse.

With somewhat of a heavy heart I collected Bay from school at lunch time. She hugged me when she saw me, her hug lingering longer than usual and I leaned my chin on top of her head and took in her scent.

I squeezed her hip. "Everything will be fine, you'll see." I whispered in her ear. She gave me a resigned nod and we got into the car.

I asked her what she felt like having, although I knew the answer. Mexican, as always. Ever since she had learned she was pregnant, all she wanted was Mexican food. I decided to surprise her this time and take her to a fancy new restaurant that had opened downtown. Bay's eyes opened in wonder when she saw the inside of the restaurant.

"Wow, Tank are you sure you can afford this place?" She asked in wonder.

I kissed the palm of her hand.

"Anything for you gorgeous, you're allowed to eat your way through the whole menu."

Bay had the Queso Fundido as a starter, followed by Enchiladas and finished it off with a Tres Leches flan. I smiled at the look on her face as she tasted the different dishes.

"Oh Tank, this was the most delicious meal, ever!" Then her eyes watered "I'm going to miss you so much!"

I took her hand "Shhhh sweetheart, everything will be fine. I'll come up in three weeks for Thanksgiving and then again at Christmas. Time will fly, I promise."

"I'm so nervous about school, what if I don't manage to graduate? What if I can't get into college?"

My heart went out to her.

"Bay, of course you'll manage to graduate, don't be silly. You need to keep a clear head now and focus on school and the baby."

"I'm giving it up for adoption, there's nothing I need to worry about."

I sighed as I had so many times when we had this conversation.

"Bay…I just want you to know that whatever you decide, I'll support your decision and if you decide to keep it we'll make it work as well."

Now fat tears were streaming down her face.

"Tank, I don't feel anything towards this baby, nothing! I actually blame it for ruining my life, although I know that's wrong. It'll be better off with someone who actually wants it."

I cringed at her words. There was nothing I could say at this point. I paid the bill.

"Shall we go? Where do you feel like going?"

Bay took my hand. "Back to your place."

Two hours later we were lying in bed after having made love twice. Bay was needy and kept seeking my closeness. I ran my hand across her belly. She was starting to show just a tiny bit. I knew that I was going to upset her with what I said next, but I was a guy and I had to get it out.

"Bay, please don't be angry at me for what I'm about to say."

She looked at me quizzically.

"I think you should tell him…ehmm…Ty, I mean."

I heard her breath hitch and the anger in her eyes.

"Tank, don't go there. I've told you before, he doesn't need to know. I don't WANT him to know. I never want to speak with him again."

I closed my eyes; I don't even know why I had brought it up. The guy seemed to be an asshole, but he was also about to be a father. I tried to put myself in his shoes and I knew that I would've been really pissed, if I hadn't been told. Maybe it was just a guy thing.

"Bay…" I tried again "It's his kid, he deserves to know."

Now I had made her really angry.

"Why are you siding with him Tank? You don't even know him. This is strictly my decision to make."

I gave-up.

"Ok, ok…peace?" I held up my hands.

Bay was still fuming next to me and I knew I had ruined our farewell. She managed to calm down again by the time I dropped her at her house and we embraced. She was crying again.

"I'm going to miss you so much."

I held her close.

"I'm going to miss you too. See you in three weeks. Be strong."

_**Bay, Mamaroneck, NY, Christmas Day:**_

I had just finished my Christmas lunch with my mother and was now almost passed-out on the sofa waiting for Tank.

My mother had outdone herself cooking this time, maybe to make-up for the fact that it was only the two of us. Daphne was celebrating with Regina and Adriana. They wanted to fly out to see us, but Daphne was not yet allowed to leave Kansas.

Toby had gone to see Nikki in Peru and John was still not talking to us. Renzo was coming by later and it made me smile. We had become thick as thieves and in my many depressed moments, he always managed to snap me out of it.

I thought about the past two months. It had taken us almost four days to arrive in New York, as we had decided to stop in Indianapolis, Columbus and Pennsylvania. It had been a fun trip and we both had relaxed visibly once we left the charged air in KC.

Much to my chagrin my mother had rented a small house in the village of Mamaroneck instead of the sleek apartment in Manhattan I had envisaged. After reading the reviews of the New York City School District, mom had put her foot down and had decided on Westchester instead.

We had settled into a comfortable routine in which I would drop her off at the train station in the morning, go to the nearby High School, do my homework in the afternoon and collect her again in the evening.

She seemed really happy at work and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed seeing my mother as a working mom.

School was awful! If in KC everyone had been worried about college applications, here in Westchester they seemed to be near a mental breakdown. At sports there was a lot of back-stabbing by overachieving students and obnoxious parents trying to snatch one of those scholarships and I was fed-up with the perfect, stay at home Westchester mums and their sour-faced Manhattan lawyer husbands.

I managed to keep my pregnancy a secret by wearing very baggy clothes from the start. Luckily it was winter and my weight gain was blamed on the enormous amounts of food I consumed in the cafeteria at lunch time, much to the disgust of the size 2 girls in my class.

I managed to keep up with the school work by doing nothing else, as I had forgotten about one important detail: I only had one functioning hand, and everything took me twice as long to do.

"Feliz Navidad, Feliz Navidad, Feliz Navidad, prospero Ano y Felicidad"

I was dragged from my day dream by a dancing Renzo entering the lounge.

I laughed and tried to fight him off when he dragged me up for a dance.

"Renzo, I feel like a beached whale, there is no way I'm dancing with you."

"Well honey, if you hadn't…you know…you wouldn't feel like a beached whale!"

I smiled at him wickedly.

"If I hadn't what, Renzo?" I moved closer to him "Hadn't had wild, passionate sex?"

I laughed as Renzo made a puking sound at our shared joke.

"Bay…stop it, please, I'm going to be sick!"

At that moment Kathryn came in and whisked Renzo away for some feedback on her book.

One hour later Tank was there and the world was alright again. I couldn't believe how much I had come to care about my boyfriend. My world seemed void when he wasn't there.

He scooped me into his arms and kissed me passionately. Everything was going to be ok!

_**I hope you've enjoyed this update. Please review.**_


	6. A Spring day at Camp Eggers

_**Camp Eggers, Afghanistan, April 25**_

I got out of bed and tried to flex my arm. I couldn't as it was broken and in a cast. This tour had been by far the most dangerous of all, yet I had managed to break my arm while playing soccer during a rare break.

The news was still sinking in. I was being pulled-out of Afghanistan, our President had kept his word and in three weeks we were going to be stationed in Kosovo for the rest of our tour. This past week had been hell for me. I had lost three of my friends during a horrific attack and I had escaped unscathed by pure chance.

When I had broken my arm and placed out of commission I had just laid in bed for most of the days, contemplating all the blood and gore I had seen. I hadn't wanted to check my e-mail; all the news from back home seemed so trivial compared to what we were going through here. I just wanted to grieve in peace.

Suddenly I felt a hand slap me on the head. It was Carter. I turned away unnerved.

"What?" I asked irritably.

"The hot medic is outside and would like a word."

I groaned and got up. I shielded my eyes against the sun as I looked at Aida. The events had also taken a toll on her. She looked haggard and had dark circles under her eyes.

"Mendoza, it's about time we connect with the real world. Let's check our e-mails."

I was angry at having been interrupted from my wallowing.

"Aida, I really don't feel like it."

She placed a hand on my arm.

"You have to, I see the signs. If you don't get back to reality, you'll never get out of that depression. There's life outside of this country, although we all find it hard to believe at times."

By now I knew her well enough to know that all arguing was futile when she went into medical mode. I sighed, pulled on my jacket and followed her to the Communications Centre.

I sat at a workstation next to Aida's and typed my user name and password into Yahoo Mail.

What I saw next nearly knocked the wind out of me.

_**From: Goolge News – your news alert for Bay Kennish. There is one new article available.**_

I never thought that seeing her name in black and white would have that effect on me. I had completely forgotten about the news alert I had created over one year ago when the whole Carlton drama was going on and I was entertained by Bay's antics to save the school.

I took a deep breath and tried to steady my shaking hand. For the past 6 months I had not thought about her. It wasn't that I didn't have any feelings for Bay; it had been for my own protection. When I had first arrived in Kandahar, I had nearly been killed by a stray bullet because I was feeling so bad about having lied to her.

While thinking about how to make it better and apologize, I had lost my focus for a split second and a bullet had grazed my ear.

The next day I had written her an e-mail. I didn't say anything about the lie, just asking how she was and telling her I was safe. I reckoned I would tell her once she answered, maybe on Skype. I waited a month and no reply. Instead I got an e-mail from MB telling me that Bay was dating a frat boy from college. MB also told me about the fight she had with Bay and I had to laugh at her deviousness of sending the guy a picture of us by the pool. I might be a horrible person, but I knew that my body was nothing to frown at.

I felt sad for MB for what she had been through with that Luau, but I couldn't really be angry at the guys. We had done stuff like that in High School. I wasn't proud of it these days, but when one is blessed with good genes coupled with High School cruelty that stuff happens.

I felt hurt that Bay had moved on so quickly, maybe she would have even if we had stayed together. It took me another month and two more close encounters with death, until I managed to put a wall around me so thick, that I turned into one of the deadliest soldiers in my platoon. Having no one to think about back home effectively turned me into a lean, mean fighting machine.

My Commanding Officer was so impressed that I soon got the rank of Private First Class. I also decided to forfeit my R&R, as I was afraid of losing my ability to turn into Robocop if I was thrown off my game by going home for two weeks.

Aida was the only one who saw me going through that change and she was the one who realized that I would have lost my mind if I had spent one more day in that bed. Without being out there fighting I was no one.

And now this e-mail! It was probably nothing, but I was surprised at how quickly those supressed feelings came back.

I wanted to delete it, but couldn't get myself to press the button, even as the mouse hovered over the trash can symbol for a good minute. I couldn't bring myself to do it and I opened the e-mail. It was a link to a Kansas Enquirer Blog and when I read the headline I swear I could feel my heart stop.

_**ANOTHER SCANDAL FOR SENATOR ABSTINENCE JOHN KENNISH: TEENAGE DAUGHTER SECRETLY GIVES BIRTH IN NEW YORK HOSPITAL!**_

"Hey, Mendoza, are you ok?" Aida's voice interrupted my near heart attack "You look white as a sheet."

She moved to stand behind me and read the headline.

"Shit!" I heard her say "What are you waiting for? Open the damn article."

My hand was shaking so badly that Aida shoved it to the side and clicked on the link herself.

_Will John Kennish be able to survive the next scandal? The Kansas Enquirer has learned from a close source that 18 year old Bay Kennish has given birth to a baby boy at Westchester Medical Center yesterday. Senator Kennish ironically just had to survive the scandal last September, when his biological daughter Daphne Vasquez admitted to blackmailing Senator Coto over an alleged teenage abstinence bill drafted by both Coto and Kennish. The Senator obviously didn't sing the same tune at home; as a result he's now the grandfather of a healthy 6 pound boy. At this time it is unclear who the father is. Another close source to the family told us that Ms. Kennish briefly dated a soldier in the US Army during the summer and is now rumoured to be dating a freshman in Kansas City College. Stay tuned for further updates on this juicy story._

My world collapsed around me. I tried unsuccessfully to count back with my fingers, but my palms were sweating and I was shaking so much that I was unable to.

"Looks like an August conception to me." I heard Aida's voice far, far away.

"Are…are…are you sure? Could…could it be that frat boy's?" I croaked and stuttered.

"Mendoza, at 6 pounds? That's a full-term delivery…Daddy."

I spun around in my chair and grabbed her wrist. Aida winced, but recovered quickly.

"Aida, your father is a doctor in New York, right? Do you think he could call someone? Just to find out if the baby is ok?"

"I'll see what I can do." Aida said quietly as she walked towards the phone.

It took another hour of waiting and sitting around. I was in shock; there was no doubt about that. I tried to think back at all the times we had sex. I couldn't recall one single time in which I hadn't used a condom.

Finally Aida came back. She looked grim.

"Mendoza, I spoke to my father. He made some discrete calls. Unless Bay was sleeping around that baby is yours. It was born at 38 weeks."

I took a deep breath. Aida looked uncomfortable.

"There's one more thing. The baby has been slated for adoption."

I suddenly felt freezing cold in the hot room. It was like my blood had chilled. Slowly, I felt an unbearable anger flowing through my body.

"Aida…I…"

"Be quiet Mendoza. CARTER!" I heard her scream.

Carter's cheery black face appeared from out of nowhere. He quickly took in the scene in front of him and turned serious. Aida turned to him.

"Carter, is your father still a defence attorney with the DoD?"

"Yes" Carter said slowly "He runs the unit."

"We need him." Aida said pointing at the screen.

Carter read the article and quickly stood up.

"I'll call him straight away."

I looked at his back as he retreated towards the telephones. I felt Aida pulling at my arm.

"You need to talk to your Commanding Officer right now." She pressed the print button.

_**Hope you enjoyed this update. I received a couple of private messages of people saying they'll stop reading if Ty came back. I suggest you stop now then. For all others, I hope that you'll review. This story will continue exploring the darker sides of the characters.**_


	7. Spontaneous combustion

_**This chapter contains some swearing. Please don't read if it offends you.**_

**Bay, Westchester Medical Centre, White Plains, 28 April 2014:**

"_You are the most precious, perfect baby in the whole world. I wish that I could keep you; that I could see you take your first steps, say your first words. Teach you to paint and just hold you in my arms forever. It makes me so sad that I can't paint right now, so I'll just have to memorize your face and paint it as soon as my hand is fixed"._

I held my baby in my arms one last time. I pressed my nose into the black hair and inhaled his scent. I was overcome by a violent nausea. I didn't really want to give him up, my perfect son, for whom I had the perfect name chosen in my head and hadn't shared with anyone.

But I had to! It wasn't fair on him to be raised by a teenage mother and without a father. I hope that he would forgive me one day. I closed my eyes and fat tears fell on his head. He scrunched up his tiny face. I wiped them away quickly.

The social worker had been standing quietly at the door. She looked at me and I nodded at her. She walked over to me and I handed my baby to her. At that moment I felt a wave of utter despair crashing over me.

I heard my mom's stifled sob, I saw the look of concern on Tank's face and again I felt like I had made the worse decision of my life. The social worker gave me a reassuring smile and walked towards the door.

I sobbed loudly and then hell broke loose.

I saw a tall black man in a dark green Army uniform barging into the room, followed by the owner of the adoption agency in a perfectly tailored suit. They were arguing loudly.

"You can't do this; paternity has not been established…"

"Ma'm I have a Private First Class who swears on the Code of the United States Army that this is his son and I am ordering an injunction right now. He's giving the evidence needed for a paternity test as we speak. Now we only need access to the baby."

I was confused. Paternity? Was Ty here? Did he know?

The man looked at me.

"Ms. Kennish, can you swear without a doubt that Private First Class Tyler Mendoza is the father of your baby?"

"Yes…but how…?"

He turned towards the social worker.

"Ma'm with the power invested in me as an attorney with the DoD, I request you to return the baby to it's cot."

The social worker slowly laid my son down next to me. The adoption agency woman was not happy.

"We'll fight this."

"You can Ma'm, however let me tell you that we look out after our own."

I looked around the room and saw the shocked faces of Tank and my mom.

"Excuse me Sir, is Ty here?"

And just then I saw him barge into the room. My heart jumped. He didn't look happy.

"Did we make it in time?" He asked the attorney.

"Just about, Private, just about." He patted him on the shoulder.

The man turned towards the group.

"Some privacy for the parents, maybe?"

The social worker and the adoption lady left the room and I was left with my mom and Tank.

I looked at Ty standing in his uniform, with his hands on his hips, nostrils flaring and felt my insides turn to mush.

"Mom, Tank, please leave for a minute." I asked.

My mother left straight away, Tank lingered.

"Bay, are you sure you'll be safe? I can stay."

Ty turned towards him.

"Get lost!"

Tank raised his hands in defence.

"Listen, I…"

"Now!" Ty was really angry now.

"Tank, please, we'll be fine, he won't hurt me."

Tank relented.

"I don't like you." He told Ty.

Oh no! Here we go. I saw Ty step towards Tank.

"You know what I don't like?" Ty was now standing nose-to-nose with Tank.

"That the first thing my son ever saw was your fucking dick. Now GET LOST!"

I gave Tank one last imploring look and he left.

"I'll be right outside. Call out if you need me."

We were alone. I saw Ty take a deep breath as he sat on the chair by the window. He rested his head in his hands.

"Ty, how did…?"

He didn't look up.

"Bay, just stop talking. I need a minute."

I did and we sat in silence for five minutes.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he looked at me.

"Bay, I'm so angry at you right now. How on earth could you betray me like this?"

I felt the anger in me rising.

"You've got the cheek to talk about betrayal? After what you did?" I scoffed at him.

Ty got-up.

"Are we really comparing things here? Bay that is my son, that is my flesh and blood and you wanted to give him away?"

I raised my voice.

"You lost your right to that baby, when you left me. Do you know what I've been through?"

Ty leaned over the bed. He looked at me menacingly.

"No…I don't know what you've been through. And you know why? Because you didn't tell me. I had to find out about my son from an internet blog! Do you know what I've been through these past three days?"

I started crying. I saw Ty's face soften slightly.

"You were the only person I've ever opened-up to about my father, about how he abandoned me. Do you really think you have the right to decide over my son that way?"

I cried harder. I tried to regain my composure.

"What do you want Ty?"

"I want that baby."

"And how are you planning on raising the said baby? Have you thought about that? What kind of life do you want him to have? He's better off without you; he's better off without me!"

Ty took a deep breath.

"How can you say that Bay? You don't even know the people who were going to adopt him. How can you think that they would love him more than either of us would?"

"I know they want him." I said with resolve.

"And you don't? Look me in the eyes right now and tell me you do not want that baby. Because the Bay I know wouldn't be able to do that."

I was crying openly now.

"Oh Ty, of course I want him. More than anything. But how? I can't do this."

"Then we'll figure something out and we raise him, even if we're not together."

I smiled for the first time through my tears.

"Do you think we could?"

Ty nodded slowly. He had tears in his eyes as well.

"Yes…I think we could."

"Do you want to hold him?"

A ghost of a smile passed over Ty's face.

"There's nothing I'd like more."

I picked-up my son from the cot, who had managed to sleep through this entire ruckus. I carefully handed him to Ty.

"Careful with his head." I warned as Ty nestled him in the crook of his arm.

I watched Ty closely as he looked at his son for the first time. A small tear escaped his eye and he gasped when the baby clutched his finger.

"Oh Bay, he's beautiful." Ty said with a choked-up voice.

I sat down next to him.

"He is! Smell right there." I pointed to a secret spot on the baby's head.

Ty lowered his head and inhaled. The look on his face was priceless.

"He smells heavenly."

"He looks a lot like you."

"You think?"

Lost in this bitter-sweet moment, I completely forgot about the issues lying ahead.

"Ty, how long are you staying?"

"That depends on you. Two weeks if we share custody or I'll take paternity leave right now and I'll stay."

I took a deep breath.

"So what was your plan? How were you going to take care of him?"

"I have another three months left; they were pulling us out of Afghanistan in the next couple of weeks. I was supposed to be in Kosovo until September. It'd be better for me to finish two tours, that way I wouldn't be sent out again for a couple of years, I spoke to Adriana on the way here; she was willing to help me with him."

"And then?"

"Then I am eligible for a desk job locally."

I was astonished.

"You really thought this through, didn't you?"

"I had a long flight."

"Look, I'm sorry ok. It's been a rollercoaster since I found out."

Ty nodded.

"How did this happen? We were always so careful."

"I don't know. You won't believe the amount of hours I've asked myself the same question."

Our son started crying. Ty gently rocked him, but I recognized the familiar sound.

"He's hungry. You'll need to give him to me."

Ty reluctantly let me take the baby from his arms and I sat in the rocking chair and opened my blouse. My little son latched on and sucked with abandon.

Ty looked at me fascinated.

"Bay, that's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

"He's a good baby."

"Does the baby have a name?"

I smiled.

"Not officially."

"That's what I thought. So would you care to tell me his unofficial name?"

"Diego."

Ty smiled.

"Diego Kennish Mendoza. I like it!"

My son finished eating and fell asleep with a look of utter content. I gazed at him lovingly. Maybe there was a way around this; maybe it was possible that I could keep this perfect bundle of joy.

I heard a knock on the door and Tank entered the room. He took in the scene in front of him and I saw a shadow passing across his face. Ty looked at him indifferently.

I got up and took Tank's hand in mine.

"Tank, I'm keeping the baby. Somehow I'll need to figure out what we're going to do."

Tank nodded. I turned towards Ty.

"Ty, this is my boyfriend Tank and I'm asking you to be nice to him. This will only work if we all get along."

Ty stood-up and extended his hand to Tank.

"Listen, I'm sorry about what happened earlier. It's been a hard couple of days."

Tank took his hand and they managed an awkward hand shake. I handed the baby to Ty.

"Would you like to spend some time with him, while I grab some lunch with Tank?"

Ty gave me a grateful nod.

"I'd like that very much."

"Oh...and Ty, he has a full diaper. You can use the changing table over there."

Smiling at seeing Ty turn slightly pale, I took Tank's hand and we left the room.

_**This was such a hard chapter to write. I hope you liked it and are ready for the raising of baby Diego in a triangle relationship.**_


	8. Coming to terms with a new reality

**Tank:**

I held on tightly to Bay's hand as we walked through the corridor towards the elevator. Once we got in I pressed the floor for the cafeteria. Bay laid her hand on top of mine.

"I want to eat outside." She pressed the button for the lobby.

"Are you sure Bay? It'll take us at least 10 minutes into White Plains. Will the baby be safe?" I asked worriedly.

"Diego will be fine; he just had a massive meal. I really need to get out of this hospital right now." Bay said with resolve.

I felt a stab that they'd named the baby already in the 30 minutes they'd spent by themselves. The jealousy reared through me.

"Diego?" I asked trying to sound casual.

"Yes, Diego. You know, Frida Kahlo and stuff? I've been calling him that since he was born, however as I was giving him up I kept it to myself."

A wave of relief flooded through me. It made so much difference to me that it'd been her choice.

"It's a good name and hopefully it'll inspire you to paint again."

Bay smiled. She looked dreadful. The labour, lack of sleep and the worry about the adoption had taken a huge toll on her. For the first time in days I saw a genuine smile. I squeezed her hand.

"Are you happy? I like seeing you smile."

"I don't know. I'm just so relieved that I didn't give him up. It would have killed me Tank. You were right in saying things would never be the same again. I can't believe how much I love Diego." She took a deep breath "Having Ty here is complicated. He was so angry at me. He was ready to take the baby with full custody. I'm scared of the future, scared that I won't be able to raise him properly."

My heart went out to her "We'll figure it out, Bay."

She hugged me tightly "I'll need you now more than ever, Tank."

I patted her back "I'll be here, don't worry."

We drove the short distance into White Plains and I automatically parked the car in front of the first Mexican restaurant I saw. Bay laughed loudly. It was music to my ears.

"You know me so well."

I watched her happily munching through her lunch and for the first time today I thought that taking her away from that hospital had been a good idea.

"So Bay, what are the plans now?" I asked once she cleared her plate.

"I'm not sure. I'm still scheduled to have surgery tomorrow and since I'm at the hospital I thought I should take advantage. If all goes well I'll be discharged in three days and we can go back home. Of course it depends on what the doctors say with the added breastfeeding now and all."

"Home. What home?" I asked the important question.

Bay sighed "I guess I'll stay with Katherine in NY for two months or so. Then I'll probably fly back to KC and stay with Adriana for a while if she'll have me."

She told me about the conversation she'd had with Ty and his tour.

"If we share custody, I'll have to be in KC. Plus, I finally want to be in the same city as you and I want to go to college. It's all just so overwhelming right now."

"As I said Bay, we'll work it out. I'm glad you're keeping Diego. I didn't think you were ready to give him up. Ty barging in...I'm not sure how I feel about that, quite honestly."

Bay looked down at the table.

"Yes, I don't know how I feel about that either. On the other hand, if he hadn't come Diego would be gone." I saw the tears in her eyes and took her hand.

"I was so worried back there in the hospital. I really thought he was going to hurt you."

Bay smiled.

"He was very angry. It was a bit of a scary sight. But he'd never hurt me. Certain things happened to him during his first tour and if I'm sure of anything it's that he'll never be violent towards a woman. I'm sorry about how he treated you. He'll come round."

I nodded. I couldn't really blame the guy for what he'd said to me. I'd probably react the same way if I was him. What had surprised me was the power that Bay seemed to wield over him when she managed to turn him from his fury to shaking my hand in the end.

"You want to head back?" I asked her "We've been out for almost two hours."

She nodded and we walked back to the car.

**Ty:**

The past two hours had been the best of my life. I sat in the rocking chair with Diego nestled on my chest sleeping peacefully. I was overcome with a wave of emotion for that tiny bundle in my arms and I vowed to protect him forever.

I'd nearly had a panic attack when I'd changed him earlier and he started crying. I was able to assemble and un-assemble a high combat rifle in less than 2 minutes, yet those tiny diapers proved a serious challenge for me. The first two I put on fell off as soon as I lifted my son, only making him angrier. The third one stayed put and once I scooped him back into my arms he was quiet again. I realized that I'd actually broken out into cold sweat.

I'd sat down on the rocking chair after that and he fell asleep on my chest. I closed my eyes for a moment and though about Bay. I felt the anger come back, but I did my best to not let it overcome me. I was furious with her and I would never forgive her for what she did. She was the mother of my son however, and I'd have to put my anger aside if we were to become good parents.

I'd go to the bank as soon as possible and hand over my savings to her. She would need money. Raising a baby cost a lot of money. I calculated that I could probably give her around 8k for the time being and then half of my salary until I figured out my expenses once I was stationed home.

My son stirred in my arms and sleepily opened his eyes. He started moving his head towards my chest, which made me smile. I patted his back.

"Sorry mate, nothing's there, I'm afraid. You can't be hungry again, can you?"

He certainly could as I soon found out. He started crying and I was never so happy to see Bay and Tank entering the room 10 minutes later.

I handed the baby to Bay visibly relieved.

"How was my timing?" She asked me.

"About 10 minutes off I'd say, but pretty good."

She sat on the chair and let him feed. The door opened again and the doctor stepped in. If he was surprised at his audience he didn't let it show.

"Ms. Kennish, I learned that there has been a change of plans regarding the future of your son?"

Bay looked at me, then quickly turned her head and nodded.

"What does it mean for my surgery?" I heard her ask.

Surgery, what surgery? Was she sick? I looked at her. She managed a small smile.

"I cut my hand a while back and the tendons were damaged. I was going to have surgery tomorrow to have them repaired."

She lifted her right hand and I saw the scar on her palm. I nodded and turned back to face the doctor.

"Ms. Kennish, I'm confident that we can go ahead. You'd have to express as much milk as possible, so that your son can be fed for the next 24 hours. If you don't have enough we'll be able to supplement with formula, however your milk is still the best option."

Bay nodded "I'll start right away."

"I also spoke with the management and they've agreed on letting your son stay with you, however you'll be financially responsible for all his needs as he'll no longer be our patient officially."

Bay nodded again "Thank you."

"The nurse is coming with a pump. She'll show you how to work it. Do you have any questions?"

Bay shook her head and the doctor excused himself.

The nurse came with the said pump and Bay looked at us.

"Could you give me some privacy for the rest of the day?"

I saw Tank nod "I've got some studying to do; I'll come tomorrow after your surgery."

Bay turned towards me.

"Ty, could you feed him tomorrow and take care of him while I'm away."

I nodded "Of course I can. I'm exhausted, I'll head to the hotel and I'll be here at 8 tomorrow."

"One more thing" I heard her say "Could one of you locate my mother? I really want to be with her right now."

We both nodded and left.

**Bay:**

For the next half hour I concentrated on the nurse and that horrible pump. I felt like a cow that was being milked and was happy that I didn't have an audience.

My mother came soon and I briefed her on the developments.

Kathryn listened to me silently, while holding Diego in her arms. She had tears in her eyes.

After I was finished I looked at her full of anguish.

"So mom, what do you think?"

I saw her look at Diego and smile.

"I think that you chose a difficult road, but the right one. I'll call Regina, Adriana, Daphne and Toby. They'll want to hear the news."

"Thank you mom. Thank you!"

"Bay, we'll make this work. We'll have to."

_**Let me know how you liked this chapter. I have a surprise planned for the next chapter and you'll either love it or hate it. I hope you'll like it as it's my favorite so far (and not for obvious reasons). Please review.  
**_


	9. Pigs can fly after all

_**Hampton Hotel, Elmsford, NY**_

**Tank:**

I managed to get some of the course work done and after having texted Bay to make sure she was ok, I took the car and drove to McDonald's to grab a bite. I slept fitfully and was wide awake at 6 AM. Feeling guilty at having had fast-food and at the lack of exercise I had this spring break, I decided to head to the gym. I was still a quarterback after all and had my responsibilities.

I walked past the small reception area and along the corridor into the possibly tiniest gym I'd ever been in. As soon as I stepped into the small space I realized I'd made a mistake. I saw Ty running at a fast pace on the treadmill and his eyes met mine as he looked in the mirror. He nodded at me and continued. He looked even more formidable in the flesh and I felt my insecurity coming back.

Damn! How did I not see this coming? When we had left Bay yesterday it didn't even occur to me that he might be staying in the same hotel. I couldn't really leave now so I walked over to the weights. I warmed up with a couple of exercises then went over to the weight machine. I laid back and checked the weight of the plates, then had to get-up again to adjust it.

Once I was down again I reached for the bar and was startled to see Ty's face hovering over me. The guy had been running like he was being chased by Storm Troopers, yet he didn't seem to have worked-up a sweat yet.

"Need a hand?" I heard him ask as he held the bar.

I felt queasy. Great, just great! I should've left after all. Nothing good could come out of me being in this position. I managed a faint smile and tried not to look at the heavy iron bar balanced precariously over my neck.

"I don't know."

Ty laughed dryly.

"It's ok, I don't bite…most of the times."

I tried another faint smile.

"You don't need to bite, you probably carry a rifle."

I heard him laugh. I was surprised.

"You're in luck. I left it in my room. So what's your routine?" He looked at my chest "Quarterback?" He asked.

I nodded and explained my usual work-out. We settled into a quiet routine, as he assisted me working through my paces. It helped me a lot as I didn't have to get up and add plates every time I wanted to increase the weight. After a while I relaxed and went into athlete mode, only focusing on the exercises ahead. He certainly knew what he was doing and even managed to push me along when I thought I couldn't take any more.

I pushed a last time then rested the bar.

"Enough! I don't think I can handle any more today. Thanks man! Do you want to switch?"

I saw a haunted look come across his face. "Not today" He said quietly.

"Hey, I don't bite either." I held up my hands.

"Everyone bites as far as I'm concerned."

We looked at one another in uncomfortable silence. I decided to break the ice this time.

"Want to grab some breakfast?"

He nodded slowly "I'll see you there in 15."

I went back to my room and showered quickly. I felt a bit puzzled by Ty's attitude, but for now I decided to go along for the ride. I went to the breakfast room and wasn't surprised that he was already there. I was starving and helped myself to a generous plate of food before I joined him.

I saw him breaking up two hardboiled eggs and removing the yolk before carefully balancing them on his toast. He chewed slowly and looked at me. Finally he swallowed and cleared his throat.

"Look, about yesterday. I'm sorry I was such a jerk."

I lifted my hands.

"Hey, no harm done. I would've probably had the same reaction. But man, you looked pretty scary there for a minute. I was worried."

"I'd never hurt the mother of my child." He said dispassionately.

I was baffled at his emotionless statement. That was the weirdest thing I'd heard.

"Listen, I know it's a difficult situation. Me starting to date Bay after you two broke up and all, I understand if you hate me."

He looked at me surprised.

"Hate you? For what? Dating Bay?"

"Yeah" I managed.

He laughed dryly "I don't hate you for dating Bay, if anything I feel sorry for you."

And that was that. I didn't really know what to say. I looked at him open-mouthed.

"Let me make one thing clear Tank. I'm here for my son and my son only. I spoke to my attorney yesterday and if it wasn't a lost battle to get full custody, I would be fighting it to the end. Since she's the mother, I'll have to live with that. You can help me greatly though by keeping her out of my face as much as possible."

I ran a hand over my stubble. I hadn't expected that.

"And to think at how angry she was at you for what you did." I managed.

"I did what had to be done." He didn't look like he wanted to continue the conversation.

**Ty:**

The look on Tank's face was priceless. I guess he'd expected everything but that. While I had ultimately sat down with him to use him as a tool to keep Bay away from me as much as possible so that I could spend time with my son, I found myself actually liking the guy.

There was a certain disarming quality about him that even hardened me found hard to resist.

"So what's it like being in the Army?" I heard him ask.

"Pretty much like being in a fraternity I suspect. You respect rank and follow orders as stupid as they may be." I looked at him critically.

He got the message.

"Mary-Beth." He said quietly.

"Yes, pretty stupid thing to do, right?"

"I never agreed with that thing, I apologized to her, but she just got so angry that I wouldn't stand up to my brothers. Bay also. But I just can't."

"I understand, mate, believe me, I do." And I really did.

"She had a sweet revenge though, by sending me that photo. Talk about ugliest date indeed."

I had to laugh when I heard him say that.

"Gym again tonight?" I asked him.

"Hell yes, if you can help me look like that." He pointed towards my chest.

I reached across the table and removed his plate of bacon, eggs and beans. I put it in front of me and exchanged it with my bowl of fruit.

"Fine, let's get started then."

I heard him groan as he tucked into the fruit with a miserable expression.

"I'll trade you a slice of bacon for a ride to the hospital." He quipped.

I just laughed, got up and emptied the contents of his plate into a nearby bin. I picked-up a boiled egg from the buffet and put it in front of him.

"I'll see you in the lobby in fifteen minutes. And don't eat the yolk!"

I went to the PC sitting in a space the size of a phone booth labelled "Business Centre" and wrote one quick e-mail to Aida and one to Carter thanking them for their support and informing them that all had worked out.

**Bay:**

I was just finishing feeding Diego, when the nurses came to get me ready for the surgery. I was starving as I hadn't been allowed any food since midnight. I knew how important it was for me to have this surgery and I just tried hard not to think of the hunger pangs.

Although I hadn't slept more than on any other night since I'd given birth, I felt rested. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders once I'd decided not to have my son adopted. For the first time I was able to enjoy every second with him.

"Ms. Kennish, it's time. Is anyone coming to look after the baby?" I heard one of the nurses ask.

"Yes, his father will come." I looked at the watch "He'll be here in five minutes." I knew that if anything, Ty was always punctual.

Two minutes later I heard a knock on the door and saw Tank and Ty entering the room together. They looked oddly at ease with one another. I decided not to dwell on it before the surgery.

Tank walked over to the bed and kissed me and Ty nodded at me, before walking to the cot to look at Diego. He picked him up.

"Has he eaten?" He asked me without taking his eyes away from his son.

"Yes, just now. I left the milk in the fridge over there. Call for a nurse to help you in about two hours."

Ty nodded. The nurse beckoned for me to get-up and I walked towards the door hand-in-hand with Tank.

"Ok, I have to leave now; I'll probably be back in the late afternoon." I said to Ty.

"Good luck." Again he didn't even look at me. I felt an odd pang.

"He seems a bit weird today." I said to Tank once we were outside.

"He's fine, it's probably all the stuff that happened."

"Did you meet him downstairs?" I asked him.

"No, we're staying at the same hotel. I gave him a ride here." Tank shrugged.

My mouth dropped open in shock. This was possibly the worst thing that could have happened. Tank didn't seem bothered, which I found very odd. I was taken through some double doors before I had a chance to say anything and the last thing I saw was Tank smiling and waving at me while blowing me a kiss.

**Tank:**

I wanted to leave, but I decided to check on Ty and the baby before I went. I knocked and stepped into the room where I found him stretched out on the bed with Diego on his chest.

"Bay's been taken into surgery. I just wanted to check if there's anything you need."

"We'll be fine. Does he have any more clothes?"

I scratched my head.

"I don't think so; Bay didn't get anything…ehhhm."

He raised his hand. I could see a shadow creeping across his face.

"It's ok. Can I ask you for a favour?"

"Sure, anything."

"Could you give me a lift to the bank and to some shops tomorrow, or could I borrow your car for a couple of hours? I need to get him some stuff."

"Sure, you can take my car for the morning." That was the least I could do.

"Thanks, much appreciated." He looked relieved.

"I'm heading out now; I'll be back around 4." I headed for the door.

"See you. Watch what you have for your lunch."

I chose to ignore his comment and closed the door behind me. As I walked to the car I thought that this had possibly been one of the weirdest mornings of my life. Only yesterday afternoon I'd feared for my relationship and this morning I'd had breakfast with the perceived threat. I was not one to cause conflict and I'd had but a few in my life, but if ever I thought there was a possibility for a major one it was when I'd seen Ty barge into that room yesterday.

I considered myself pretty good at reading people and from what I'd seen so far gave me no reason for fearing that he'll want to get back with Bay. On the contrary, in fact I found his indifference quite chilling. Worse than that, I had to confess that I liked the guy, despite what I'd told him yesterday. Shaking my head in confusion, I opened the door of my car and got in.

I decided to make the two hour journey to see my parents and brief them on the latest developments. They would be less than thrilled, I was sure of that.

_**Now dear readers, tell me if you saw this one coming. **_

_**Hope you like this odd friendship. I really want to explore it a bit more in the following chapters. **_

_**Looking forward to your reviews.**_


	10. Diego

**Ty:**

I thoroughly enjoyed spending the morning with my little Diego and when I felt him stir open-mouthed on my chest again, I rang for the nurse.

She competently showed me the quantity and how to warm the milk to the correct temperature and left me alone again.

My son wasn't at all happy at the change to the bottle and kept spitting the plastic nipple out while angrily waving his little arms. Finally he must have realized that there was a way to get milk out of that plastic thing and he sucked greedily.

After changing him he fell asleep again. Oh the life! I wish I could sleep so carefree. I rang for the nurse again and asked her if I could take him outside for a little bit.

"Of course you can Dad, but does he have a jacket or anything warm to wear?" She asked me.

I felt that wave of hot, red anger sweeping over me again.

"No, I'm going to buy some for him tomorrow." I said between gritted teeth.

The nurse looked at me, then left the room and came back with a blanket, a tiny hat and some thick socks.

"Lost and found." She said with a smile.

I smiled and thanked her. After dressing Diego up as best as I could, I nestled him into the crook of my arm and walked towards the elevator.

Once outside I took a few strolls with him through the small park adjacent to the hospital, mindlessly pointing out things to him as we went along. He blinked a couple of times at the sunshine, but otherwise just seemed content to doze in the mild weather.

I finally came to rest on a small bench and was happy to see that my son seemed to have acquired rosy cheeks from our time spent outside. I tickled him playfully.

"Just wait until we're out playing ball, fishing and swimming. You'll love the outdoors; I can't wait to teach you how to ride a bike and to shoot a bow and arrow."

I felt the despair hit me at the thought that I would have to leave him again so soon. I once more contemplated just throwing the towel and leave the Army, but I knew that was not an option. Since the full custody wasn't either, I'd just have to grin and bear it. It was crucial that I'd do the end of this tour so as to not give them an excuse to ship me out again.

Coronel Carter was dealing with the required paperwork to grant me work at the base in KC and he had told me that it shouldn't be a problem if all was well documented. I'd never felt more thankful to Carter and his father.

Diego decided then and there that it was time for his next meal. I was becoming good at recognizing the signs. I went back to the room and fixed him the next bottle all by myself. I saw that there was only one more bag of milk left and I hoped that Bay would be able to feed him again soon.

Once he had eaten and was asleep again, I realized I was hungry myself. I carefully shifted Diego onto my other arm and flexed. I'd been holding him for the past 4 hours and was starting to feel it now. But there was no way I'd set him down. I went in search of the cafeteria and picked up a turkey salad and a bottle of water. Smiling to myself I wondered what Tank was having for his lunch.

I shook my head when I thought that these guys ate like pigs, and then went to the gym to ease the guilt, but later were surprised at there being no results. If I had learned anything in the Army was that my body could only function according to what I consumed. They didn't really tell us that, we found out the hard way by not being able to keep-up with the rigorous pace.

I went back upstairs and managed to eat the salad with my left hand. I then stretched out on Bay's bed and dozed off myself with the baby settled on my chest. I wasn't afraid to let him drop; my reflexes were way too honed to let that happen.

At 3 I was woken-up by a crying Diego and I quickly fixed him his bottle again. I mindlessly flicked through the TV channels for another two hours and then they wheeled Bay in on a stretcher. She opened her eyes briefly as they transferred her to the bed, but closed them again immediately.

The doctor entered the room. He looked at me.

"Are you the husband?" He asked me.

"I'm the father. My son is hungry, there's no more milk. Is there any way she can feed him?"

"Yes, it should be possible, but she'll be sleeping for the next couple of hours. You'll need to hold the baby. She'll be in a lot of pain for a while as we can't give her very strong pain killers."

I suddenly remembered the surgery.

"Did everything go as planned?" I asked the doctor.

"Yes, there was more damage than we'd thought but we managed to repair it. With aggressive therapy she should be able to make a full recovery."

He left and the nurse helped me raise Bay's bed a bit. I saw her scrunch her face in pain. She opened her eyes and focused on me.

"Ty…" I heard her croak "Diego?"

"He's right here, don't worry. He's fine and hungry and you'll have to try and feed him."

"Pain…thirsty"

I put a wet gauze in her mouth "You'll have to suck on these for the time being, you're not allowed to drink. I can't get you anything for the pain."

"Tank?" She whispered.

"I don't know where he is. Where's your phone?"

She moved her head towards the nightstand and I opened the drawer. I found her iPhone and a message from Tank.

**Went to see my parents. Stuck in traffic due to bad accident. Be there when I can. XXX**

"He's stuck in traffic coming from his parents. He'll be here soon."

Bay nodded and passed out again. The nurse had removed her arm from the sling and I opened up the buttons of her hospital gown before lowering it. It took me a while to figure out a position in which I could hold Diego in a way that he had access to Bay, without hurting her hand in the process. I finally managed, although I could feel my body hurting at the strain of holding the uncomfortable position. I looked adoringly at my son as he sucked with abandon.

I recalled the amount of time I had spent revering those breasts during the summer, the times I had kneaded that flesh passionately, the good times we'd had. I quickly banished those thoughts. Now they were a mere conduit to feed our son.

Once he was finished I changed him and placed him in his cot after having buttoned Bay's gown up again.

At that moment Tank walked in the room.

"Gosh, I'm so sorry, how's she doing? They had the I-95 closed off for over an hour."

He looked devastated.

"She's fine. The operation went well, took longer than expected. She asked for you and I read her your message."

The nurse walked into the room.

"I think it's time for you gentlemen to call it a night. Ms. Kennish needs rest and we'll assist her with feeding the baby."

Tank looked unsure.

"What if she wakes-up?" He asked.

"She'll be sleeping it off for now. Come back tomorrow morning."

I wanted to stay, but something told me that arguing with the nurse was not going to get me anywhere. I kissed my son good-night and left with Tank.

**Tank:**

Hell existed, I was sure of that now. It was located in the dingy gym of the Hampton Hotel in Westchester County.

"Hold it….hold it…NO! I heard Ty's annoyed outburst as I dropped the bar once more.

"Again!" He said as I swiped the sweat from my brow.

"Just give me 5 minutes." I panted, but he was already holding the bar inches over my neck.

"No! You're going to do it again." He wiped his hands on his shorts.

I lifted the bar and saw him walk away. I felt panic running through my body.

"What did you have for lunch, Tank." I heard his voice in the distance.

"Ty, come back here, that's not funny." I said in a croaked voice.

"What did you have for lunch?"

"I went to Subway, I'm sorry man! I'm going to drop it. You need to come now!"

Just as I thought the bar would choke and kill me, he grabbed it. I got-up furious.

"You're an asshole! I could've died on there." I screamed at him.

"You did it." I heard him say "You held it for three minutes." He was holding his stopwatch up.

I looked at him in astonishment "I did? I never managed more than two. Wow!"

Ty smiled "That's how I learned. It's different when you have no fall-back."

I took a deep breath. I was still shaken, but damn proud of myself. "Diner?" I asked.

Ty nodded "After we do 50 push-ups."

I wanted to kill him there and then. A part of me wanted to believe that he was doing this to get back at me, to punish me for sleeping with his ex. Unfortunately I couldn't as there was not one thing he had me do that he wouldn't do himself. I'd asked for it, so I just had to go along.

I was surprised that after that work-out I wasn't hungry when I sat down for diner and managed to get full by eating chicken breast with vegetables. Actually I was feeling pretty good about myself.

Afterwards we sat down at the bar and Ty ordered two beers.

"Am I allowed that?" I asked.

"Of course you are! There's no life without a beer in the evening."

I sat across from him and looked at him. He seemed relaxed and content.

"Is this weird?" I asked "I mean us sitting here over a beer? With all that happened?"

He managed a small smile.

"It's incredibly weird. But hey, what else is there to do? It's not like we know anyone here."

He paused.

"I enjoy your company." He seemed surprised at himself.

"Yeah…I kinda enjoy yours too." I said equally surprised.

He finished his beer.

"I'm going to bed. See you at 6 for a run?"

I waved my hands.

"Sorry, mate, I don't run."

He just patted me on the back "You do now." And he was gone.

I groaned as I enjoyed the last sip of my beer.

_**Are you enjoying the story so far? I know that many of you were surprised at the turn of events, but for me it was the only way in which I manage to keep both characters in the story. Time to find out what Bay thinks about all this when she wakes up. Do you think she'll love it or hate it? Please review.**_


	11. A battleground of emotions

**Ty:**

I ran through the woods behind the hotel at a moderate pace with music blaring in my ears. Once in a while I'd look over my shoulder to see if Tank was still there. He'd better be, as I was running slower than I normally would. Alone with my thoughts I contemplated my feelings for Bay.

It was the oddest thing. Whenever I thought about Bay as a woman, as my ex-girlfriend, I could feel my anger at her consume me. I still couldn't believe that she'd keep my son a secret and last night I'd had the most horrible nightmare that I'd been lost in St. Louis and knocking on every door trying to find my son. I'd woken up bathed in cold sweat and I couldn't imagine what Angelo must have gone through last summer.

When I actually saw her it was a different matter. She was the mother of my son and I just couldn't be angry at her while Diego was around. Although for me the easiest would've been to just sweep my son up and disappear with full custody, I knew that he needed a mother and I was sure that Bay would be a good one.

I liked Tank. I confess that I would prefer to have no man in Bay's life interfering with the upbringing of my son. Being that this was not the case, I'd rather have him by her side than anyone else.

I was interrupted in my thoughts by Tank grabbing onto my shoulder. Irritated I yanked out the earphones.

"What now?" I asked him "You can't be quitting already, we've barely done 15 minutes."

"I can't go further, I won't make it back." He panted "How do you do it?"

"Do what? This? This is nothing, mate, we're made to do twice this distance with 30 pounds on our backs."

He looked at me miserably.

"I thought I was fit, man. I really did." He ran a hand through his damp hair.

I patted his back.

"It's ok! We'll get you there in the end. Head back if you want; I need another half-hour at least. I'll see you in the lobby in one hour."

He gave me a sad nod and I saw him run off in the direction of the hotel. I put my earphones back in and was happy at being able to increase my speed now.

**Bay**:

I was in so much pain. All they could give me was Tylenol and it only did so much. I still couldn't feed Diego by myself and was dependent on the nurses holding him for me. I felt tired and irritable.

On the other hand I was happy that the surgery had gone well and the doctors felt confident that I'd be able to start the therapy in two weeks.

At 8 on the dot I saw Tank and Ty entering the room. Did those two come in pairs now? I wasn't sure I liked that. Tank made his usual walk to my bed and kissed me. I smiled at him. Ty had scooped Diego up. He looked at me.

"I need to run some errands this morning. Do you want to go grab a coffee or something? I'll stay with him for a while."

I nodded. Was he kicking me out? I felt a wave of hurt run through me. Tank helped me out of bed and into my dressing gown and we went down to the cafeteria.

"I'm sorry about yesterday, Bay. I left at 2 and it took me four hours instead of the usual two. Traffic was horrendous." Tank looked at me apologetically.

I patted his hand "It's ok, I have no recollection of anything but this morning. It wouldn't have made a difference. How're your parents. Did you tell them?"

I saw a brief shadow creep across his eyes, but he hid it immediately.

"They'll be fine, don't worry. Just a bit shocked at the moment. You'll get to meet them soon."

I hoped that day would be far, far away.

"My mom is coming later, she took the afternoon off, she's been great." I said with a smile.

Tank held my hand.

"That's good to hear, you'll need her support."

We finished our breakfast and went back upstairs. Ty was sitting serenely in the rocking chair with Diego on his chest. I felt a tug in my heart. He got-up as soon as he saw us and handed me the baby.

"I'll be back after lunch." He closed the door behind him.

"I wonder where he's going." I muttered.

"He's off to the bank and to some shops." Tank ventured.

I looked surprised.

"How do you know?" I asked.

"He asked to borrow my car yesterday at breakfast." Tank said with a shrug.

I was absolutely dumbfounded. I didn't know where to start.

"Borrow your car? And you had BREAKFAST?" I felt my voice rise.

Tank smiled at me.

"Yeah, pretty awesome right? We also had diner and he's helping me a lot in the gym."

I was horrified. When had all of this happened? Had I been sleeping for that long?

"Why would he help you?" I asked tonelessly.

"I don't know. You told him to be nice after all." He shrugged.

"That's different Tank, I was trying for him not to punch you. Not creating gym buddies." I was still angry.

"He's a pretty decent guy." I could tell that Tank regretted his words the moment he said them.

"A pretty decent guy?" I lost it there and then "Have you forgotten what he did to me?"

Tank reached over and grabbed my hand.

"Of course not, Bay. I'm sorry. I meant he's been decent with me."

I couldn't really put a finger on what I was feeling. Should I be happy about this? I certainly wasn't feeling that.

"Why would he? I mean I'm his ex. There's no reason for him to behaving like that."

I saw Tank look at me critically.

"Do you still have feelings for him, Bay?" He asked slowly.

I felt close to combustion. I quickly took my hand out of his.

"Feelings for HIM? Have you lost your mind? How could you think that? He CHEATED on me!"

Tank got-up then. He slapped his forehead.

"Right! So it's ok for you not to have feelings for him, but not ok for him not to have feelings for you. Is that what this is about?"

He was sounding angry. So was I.

"Oh Tank, don't be stupid. Of course it's not."

He turned towards me.

"You know what? I think it's exactly that. He's hurt your pride by not worshipping at your feet."

"Has he said anything?" I was confused.

"Said anything about what? You? No, he hasn't. Look, you should be happy here. I'm with you and he's embracing the situation. You're acting like a spoiled brat as far as I'm concerned."

Diego started crying then. I turned towards Tank in fury.

"Just get out of here."

He did and I started crying.

**Tank:**

Christ, I was furious. Talk about being selfish. Not wanting to be with the guy, but not accepting the opposite either. I didn't even trust that she didn't have any feelings for Ty.

I almost blurted out what he'd told me, but had just about managed to contain myself. I don't know if it was a guy code of honor thing or wanting to protect her feelings. I just needed some air right now.

I made it as far as the parking lot, then realized I didn't have a car. Fuck!

**Ty:**

I stopped by the Bank of America branch in White Plains and took out 8.000 dollars. It was almost my entire savings, but I left a cushion for some of my own expenses. Next I went in search of a shop that sold baby stuff and found a place called Buy Buy Baby in Yonkers.

I made my way there and explained to the sales girl that my wife was expecting and we needed to get the stuff for after the baby was born. I didn't really want to go into more details.

One hour later I was finally at the cashier and felt exhausted. Most of what I bought were clothes and the two big expenses had been the car seat with the stroller and some sort of high technology swing that seemed to be the latest rage according to the girl. It looked like a spaceship hanging from some sort of contraption and it had music and 8 different swing settings.

I shouldn't really be buying this taking my finances into account, but I just couldn't resist. Half an hour later I was back at the hospital. I took the clothes out first as they were the main priority and left the rest of the stuff in the car.

I walked-up to the room and saw that Bay was alone and struggling to get a crying Diego in a position that she could feed him. Her face was scrunched up in pain. I dropped the bags by the door and quickly went to help her.

"Easy Bay, I've got him. Why didn't you call for the nurse?"

She looked at me gratefully "They're doing the shift change and can't come right now."

She was struggling with opening the buttons with her left hand and I grabbed it.

"Here, let me." I quickly undid the buttons and placed Diego in the same position as yesterday. I inadvertently brushed my hand across her breast and she flinched.

"I'm sorry." I muttered quickly.

She blushed "It's ok. Thank you."

I looked around the room "Where's Tank?"

I saw a shadow pass across her eyes.

"He left hours ago. We had a fight."

I nodded "How did he leave? I had his car."

She shrugged then looked at me with tears in her eyes.

"Why are you being nice to him?"

I looked at her puzzled.

"Isn't that what you wanted? He's your boyfriend."

She looked sad.

"I meant that you shouldn't knock him out. I didn't realize you'd be car pooling."

I nodded slowly.

"Yeah, I don't know myself, he kinda ran into me in the gym and I ended-up helping him out. He's a nice guy, Bay."

She looked at me disappointedly. Then she sighed.

"It's ok I guess. I wasn't expecting it, that's all." She looked towards the door "What's that?"

"I went to get some stuff for Diego. It's mostly clothes and other stuff he'll need. There's also a car seat and a stroller in Tank's car."

I saw her tear up again.

"Oh! Thank you." She said with a small sob.

"Hey, it's ok. Are you all right?"

"I don't know. I'm in terrible pain, my hormones are all over the place, I was awful to Tank and I just feel like crying all the time. What if I can't do this, Ty? What if I'm a terrible mother? What if I can't give him what he deserves?"

I cupped her face and wiped one of her tears away with my thumb.

"Bay, look at me! He'll be fine. You're a great mother. I'll always be here as well. We can do this. Just because we're not together doesn't mean we love him any less."

She smiled at me sadly and nuzzled Diego's head "It's going to be ok, I promise." She said to him quietly.

Diego had finished eating and I buttoned up Bay's gown again and held him on my shoulder.

Once he had burped I laid him in his cot and sat on Bay's bed. She smiled at me.

"You're so good with him. I just texted Tank to say I'm sorry."

I reached into my pocket and took out the envelope.

"I went to get some money for you. There's around 7.000 in there. I don't have any more right now, but I'll also make arrangements to transfer you a part of my salary."

She opened her eyes in astonishment.

"Ty, I can't…"

I interrupted her quickly.

"Don't even think of it Bay, this is our son, we share the responsibility. I'm sorry I don't have any more. Do you want me to put it in your bank account for you?"

She nodded "Thank you."

At that moment Tank walked into the room. I quickly got-up.

"Thanks for the car. It really helped."

He nodded at me. I looked at both of them.

"Do you mind if I take Diego out for a bit? It's a nice day outside." I asked Bay.

She nodded and I rummaged in the bags to find him proper clothes and changed him quickly. Once he was all ready to go I left Bay and Tank to sort out their differences.

**Bay:**

I held out a hand to Tank and he took it suspiciously.

"I'm sorry Tank. I really am. I was confused and in pain and I just don't have a hold over what I'm feeling right now."

He sat on the bed and nodded.

"Ok."

"I'm glad you and Ty get along, I really am. It makes life easier." I smiled at him. "Can I have a kiss?"

Tank smiled and kissed me. We didn't get much time on our own as Kathryn came soon after. If she was surprised at Diego being out with Ty, she didn't let it show. We chatted amicably for a while until Ty got back. He nodded at Katherine and handed Diego back to me. He stood awkwardly at the door.

"I'll head back to the hotel now." He looked at Tank "I'll call a cab."

Tank got-up as well "No, I'll leave with you. I think the ladies need some time to catch up. I'll give you a ride."

Now my mother looked confused. Once they'd left she looked at me open-mouthed. I tried to put-on a cheerful expression.

"I'll explain." I did and managed to keep my emotions in check until my mother had left two hours later.

It was only then that I allowed myself to cry. I couldn't get Ty's face out of my head as I thought back on our joint feeding session. There'd been nothing there, I might as well have been the clerk at the bank. Confused at my own feelings I fell into a fitful sleep.

_**The Hampton Hotel, Westchester**_

**Tank:**

I watched as Ty lifted and lowered the bar at a steady pace as I stood over him. He'd finally let his guard down and agreed to let me help him with his weights. That must have been a really big step for him.

I looked at his arms and once again swore to myself to put-in more time at the gym and less time having diner.

"Why did you enlist?" I'd wanted to ask that question for some time.

Ty paused momentarily to look up at me, then continued at a slower pace.

"I don't know. I like to tell myself I didn't have a choice in the matter. I had a bit of a rough upbringing, had lost the three construction jobs I'd worked in. Then one day I walked into one of those recruitment centers and they made it all seem so easy."

I nodded. He didn't seem to be uncomfortable talking about the matter.

"Have you ever killed someone?"

I saw a shadow move over his eyes and regretted having asked the question.

"Yes." He said in a low voice.

"Listen, I'm sorry man. I shouldn't have asked that."

"It's ok. I'm a soldier, it's what I'm trained to do."

"How do you live with that?"

Ty took a deep breath.

"Their faces haunt me during the night. I try to replace them with the faces of the soldiers in my platoon who I saved by my actions. It doesn't make it alright, but it helps."

"Do you ever regret having enlisted?"

Ty had to think about that one for a minute.

"I used to regret it every single second of my day. Now with Diego here I don't know. I might be able to provide better for him with what the Army pays than with the odd job here and there."

He seemed surprised at his own answer and stood up.

"What's with all these questions? Are you thinking of joining?" He made a gesture for us to switch positions.

Once I was down I thought about my answer.

"No, I don't think so. I'm fascinated. I never met anyone like you before, and in some ways I'm envious."

"Envious? Of me?" Ty scoffed "That's the silliest thing I've ever heard."

I shrugged as I started my exercise.

"You got to make your own decision. Here in the East Coast, your life is planned out from the moment you're born until you die. I had to do well at school; I had to go to college. I had to join the fraternity. I have to become a lawyer and join my father's firm up in Boston. My one rebellion was to take the football scholarship down in KC instead of going to Stanford. My father will never forgive me for that. He'd have gladly paid twice the cost of college."

Ty looked puzzled.

"Seems like a pretty good life. All I've ever wanted was for someone to make the decisions for me."

We stopped talking then and I concentrated on my work-out. An hour later I was collapsed on the floor panting.

"You did well." I heard Ty say.

"When will we stop?" I croaked.

Ty laughed "For today it's enough. In the long run, when you can do this."

He did a handstand and walked the length of the gym on his hands.

I groaned when he collapsed next to me.

"That'll be never." I was sure about that.

He drank greedily out of his water bottle. I decided to ask my next question.

"Are you and that girl still together?"

That's when I saw him shut-down.

"No."

He picked-up his towel and started walking towards the door.

"I'm going back to my room. I need to send some e-mails. See you tomorrow."

I was left with an odd feeling in the pit of my stomach.

**Slightly longer chapter here. I hope I did a good job. **

**I think I'm a bit over my head here with the complexity of everyone's feelings. **

**I hope you like it. Next chapter will be short and funny for a change. **

**Are you rooting for Tank or Ty?**

**Please review.**


	12. Gotta love Renzo!

_**Mamaroneck, NY, 1 week later**_

Bay:

I sat in the living-room of our house with Diego on my lap and smiled at the scene in front of me. Tank was lying on the floor with Ty on his knees behind him, while they were trying to put together the spaceship swing, as I called it.

"Really guys, what's the point in putting Starship Enterprise together now. You'll only have to get it disassembled again in two days." I called out to them.

They just ignored me. Men and their toys! Unfortunately recent events had derailed my best laid plans as Kathryn's book tour had begun, and although she'd wanted to cancel it, I'd declined and decided to go back to KC earlier than planned. Ty was due to leave for Kosovo in two days and I was driving back with Tank and Diego. For now I planned to stay with Adriana, as Regina was in the guest house and my father still didn't want anything to do with me.

I felt a pang every time I thought about him, so I tried not to.

Toby, Daphne, Regina and Adriana had all agreed to help me with the babysitting while I was in therapy and all of them were dying to meet Diego. Kathryn had allowed for Tank to stay in our guest room. She knew that sex was the last thing on my mind right now and she didn't want me to be alone. Ty was staying at a Motel down the road and surprise, surprise they had found a gym the same day we all got here and would disappear for an hour every morning and late afternoon.

While I was sometimes still baffled at the odd friendship, I found that it worked. For now!

"It's done." I was startled by Ty holding out his arms for the baby.

"Are you sure it's safe?" I eyed the swing suspiciously out of the corner of my eye.

"Hey!" I heard Tank shout "Are you doubting our abilities?"

"Of course it's safe. It better be for what it cost. Let's see if he likes it." Ty wouldn't take no for an answer.

I handed him Diego and he fastened him into the chair. He pressed a few buttons and I heard music and the swing started going round in circular motions.

"That's the car setting." Ty said proudly.

Diego opened his eyes in surprise, but then decided to go along for the ride. I was feeling a bit nauseous looking at the movement.

"I think he smiled." Tank was eying Diego critically.

I laughed "That's probably just gas."

Tank turned towards me "Today is your big night. Don't you have to do your hair or something?"

I sighed "Prom? Really? I hate that school and I feel so fat."

Tank just laughed "Yes, everyone should have a prom. And compared to how you looked when you graduated, those bitchy girls will probably all want to be on what you were on; given that you didn't tell them you were pregnant."

I smiled at him "I guess"

"Plus don't forget that your mom bought you the most wonderful dress. I'm dying to be on that dance floor with you." He pulled me up and twirled me around.

I paled visibly "Tank, I don't dance!"

He just winked at me "We'll see about that!"

I turned towards Ty.

"Are you going to be ok with Diego? Maybe I should stay."

He just crocked his head at me.

"Don't even think about using me as an excuse not to go. We'll be fine. Did you pump enough milk?"

I realized there was no way out for me.

"Yes, and I'll feed him before I go."

Ty put Diego in the stroller and went for his usual afternoon walk and I half-heartedly decided to get dressed. I showered and did my make-up and put on the blue dress that my mom had bought. I looked in the mirror and pulled-in my stomach. I frowned at the result, but was quite satisfied with my cleavage.

Just that second I heard the familiar war cry and went downstairs to feed my son. It gave me some satisfaction to see the way Ty's eyes opened in wonder when he saw me all dolled-up. He recovered soon enough and the mask of indifference was on again. Still, I seemed to have had some effect on him.

He handed me Diego and gave me some privacy for the feeding. After I had finished, I decided to go into the kitchen where Ty was fixing himself a salad.

"Can I get you anything?" He asked.

"Just a glass of water." I smiled as he handed it to me.

Tank barged into the kitchen then. I couldn't tell if he was happy or angry.

"Ty, I need your belt. My pants are going to fall off." He ran his hand across the button and showed us how lose they were.

Ty laughed.

"Now, now. Just think about that the next time you're threatening to kill me in the gym."

Tank smiled proudly. I ran a hand across his chest.

"Wow, you feel different, I hadn't even noticed."

"I'm 7 pounds down. So proud of myself. Can I have that belt now?"

Ty was already pulling it out of his loops.

"Not sure it'll fit you. You're getting there, but hey!"

Tank somehow managed to take a deep breath and get the belt into the first hook.

"This will do."

I looked at the watch and saw that we still had half an hour before we had to go. I was contemplating having a lie down, when I heard the doorbell.

I frowned "Who could that be?"

I handed Diego to Ty and went to check. I saw Renzo and smiled widely as I jumped into his arms.

"Renzo, I can't believe it! What are you doing here? I'm so happy to see you!"

"Hi Bay. You look…Wow! I'm in the city for a couple of days and as I have a diner with a friend up here, I decided to take that horrible train and come to see you."

"Oh Renzo, what a great idea. And stop being a snob. The train is perfectly fine. I'm so sorry I can't spend any more time with you, it's my prom night."

Renzo clapped excitedly and jumped up and down.

"Prom? I love prom! So sorry I can't take you, I have this hot date tonight."

"That's fine, she has a date!" Tank walked into the room.

He greeted Renzo, who looked him up and down. He pointed at Tank's chest.

"You, my friend, have lost weight. What's the secret?"

Tank smiled at me "Long story."

"Where's that baby of yours, Bay? I haven't seen it yet."

"He's in the kitchen with his father. Can I get you anything?"

"I'd love some coffee." Renzo said.

"I'll be right back." I made my way into the kitchen where Ty was simultaneously reading the paper, holding Diego and eating his salad. He looked at me and I quickly explained to him about Renzo and Kathryn, while I fixed the coffee.

I went back into the lounge and sat on the couch with Renzo.

"When are you heading back to KC girl? I feel lonely without you and your mother."

I smiled.

"I'll be there next week. I'll be staying with Adriana in East Riverside."

Renzo got up again and clapped his hands.

"Yay! We'll have a girls night soon."

I laughed. I couldn't believe how much I had missed Renzo. He'd become such a good friend over the past months and suddenly I didn't feel like going out at all. I just wanted to curl up on the couch and have "girls" talk. That's when I heard Ty swearing in the kitchen.

"Damn!"

"What?" I shouted out.

"Diego puked his milk all over my shirt."

And then there he was, holding his soiled shirt in one arm and Diego in the other.

"Tank, I need another shirt!" That was the last thing I heard, before the sound of china breaking.

I turned around and saw that Renzo had dropped his coffee. I wish I was able to paint the look on his face.

"And a mop" Ty shouted towards the direction Tank had left in. He walked towards Renzo.

"You ok? I'm Ty?" He extended his hand. I bit my tongue when I realized that Renzo couldn't find his words, how unusual. He smiled and shook Ty's hand, his eyes fixated on Ty's naked chest.

Tank was back with a shirt and a mop and Ty unceremoniously placed Diego on Renzo's lap while he pulled on the clean garment.

Ohhhhh, where were my brushes now? Renzo sat like he was made out of stone, suspiciously eying the small creature on his lap. He looked at me helplessly and I just shrugged. Ty rescued him soon enough and sat next to Renzo, who crossed his legs and turned towards Ty. He held out his hand again and managed a 1000 watt smile.

"Hi there, I'm Renzo, it's an honour to finally meet you."

Ty shook Renzo's hand.

"Good to meet you too."

I looked at the watch.

"Tank, we need to go, I'm just going to put-on my lipstick." I left towards the bathroom and Renzo followed me. He put the toilet seat down and sat on it after closing the door.

"JEEZUZ, CAJEEEZUS Bay, how come you never told me about him?" He was fanning himself.

"I told you all about him, Renzo."

"No, you told me about some cheating, lying bastard. You didn't tell me he looked like that."

I forcefully closed my lipstick.

"Well now you know what he looks like."

"Wow!" Was all Renzo managed.

"Renzo, he's not…"

He patted my back.

"Oh I know honey, it doesn't matter. We eat with our eyes. I'm just hoping for your baby to puke again."

I shook my head and went back into the lounge. Renzo followed me and took out his phone.

"Oh shoot, would you believe it? My date just cancelled. Can I stay here for the night?"

Ty looked up and was waving his hands behind Renzo's back mouthing "No". I smiled sweetly at him.

"Of course you can. You can sleep in my mom's bed." Ty rolled his eyes.

I picked-up my bag.

"We'll be back in a couple of hours. Call me if there's an emergency."

The last thing I saw was Tank smiling and blowing a kiss at Ty who showed him the finger.

"Soooo Ty, tell me all about the army. Do you guys all sleep in bunk beds, and…"

I laughed and closed the door.

Ty:

I groaned inwardly at seeing my quiet night with my son disappearing before my eyes. Christ, the man could talk. He was firing off question after question. I answered the best I could while thinking of a solution to quieten him.

"Hey, you want to watch a movie?" I finally asked him.

He clapped his hands. "Yay! With popcorn?"

I rolled my eyes as I made my way to the kitchen. When I got back with the popcorn, I found him browsing through the on-demand section. He looked me up and down.

"Let me guess. Saving Private Ryan?"

I shook my head.

"No war movies. I see enough of that already."

"Ok, Brokeback Mountain?"

I smiled "Sure"

I settled on the couch with Diego and finally had the peace and quiet I craved. Renzo was happy to munch away at the popcorn, commenting here and there.

I must admit I quite enjoyed the movie after all and after a few hours Bay and Tank were back and I excused myself for the night and walked back to the Motel, much to Renzo's chagrin.


	13. I will not tell the truth

**Bay:**

This was my last afternoon in New York. Tomorrow Tank and I would be driving to KC and I was dreading the trip with a 10 day old infant. Yet, looking at the upside, Diego did spend most of his days sleeping in between his feedings.

Tank had taken advantage of his last day to do another quick trip up North to see his family and Ty was looking the worse for wear at the thought of having to leave his son for 3 months.

I'd just finished feeding Diego and Ty extended his arms to hold him. I handed him the baby and he kissed him on the head, before nestling him into the crook of his arms.

"I'm going to miss you so much." He whispered with moist eyes.

I laid a hand on his arm.

"I'll take good care of him." I gave him a reassuring smile.

"I know you will, Bay. It doesn't make it any easier." Ty looked sad.

"Well, at least you're going to a safe area now and I haven't got to worry about insurgents firing at you. What will you be doing the whole day?"

Ty sighed "I don't really know. I guess motor detail just as I did before."

"We'll miss you." I said quietly.

Ty managed a weak smile "You make sure that man of yours keeps up his routine now. Don't let him fall back into the bad eating habits and lack of exercise."

I smiled at him "You do care about him, don't you?"

Ty had to think for a minute.

"I do. There's something about him that reminds me of Justin. He's got a quality that makes him very likable. I don't think I've been that close to anyone, ever since Justin died."

I really don't know what came over me that moment. The thought of Ty leaving, or the fact that we hadn't had any time alone ever since we got out of the hospital. Maybe it was the notion of being a little family. I just remember leaning over and kissing Ty on the mouth.

I felt Ty relax and respond to my kiss for the fraction of second before he pulled back.

"Bay, what are you doing?" He looked shocked.

I felt the heat rising in my cheeks.

"I'm sorry…I don't know what came over me." I stood-up in embarrassment, trying to put some distance between us.

"Bay…this…this can't happen again."

I felt the anger build-up.

"Why Ty? Why can't it happen again? You're his father."

Ty's eyes clouded over.

"That doesn't mean I'm your partner, Bay. You're seeing someone. Someone who I've come to care about."

I got even angrier.

"So is this what this is about? You don't want me because I'm dating Tank?"

Ty ran a hand over his face. "Not only because you're dating Tank. We're not good for one another, Bay. I've hurt you, you've hurt me. We carry grudges. It wouldn't work."

I felt tears stinging in my eyes.

"What if I can get past the cheating, Ty? What if I could put it behind me? I can't promise I can, but I could try."

Ty closed his eyes briefly.

"It's not just about the cheating, Bay. I've hurt you before. I've hurt you three years ago, I managed to hurt you again last summer. Hell, you broke your foot because of me."

I took a deep breath.

"Those were all special circumstances, Ty. You didn't want to hurt me on purpose."

He looked at me with eyes full of pain.

"But I still did! And Bay…I think you're a great mother and I couldn't ask for a better one for Diego. But….I still can't forgive you for not telling me about him."

**Ty:**

There, I'd said it. I suddenly felt incredibly exhausted. This was not the way I'd imagined my last day with my son to go.

I looked at Bay and I knew then that I'd really upset her. Her anger was palpable.

"How can you? How can you still be angry at me over that? I told you why, I was only thinking about what was best for him," She shouted.

"I know you were, Bay. That still doesn't make it right."

She sat down on the couch next to me and started crying in earnest.

"I was willing to forgive you. You knew what cheating meant to me; you knew how strongly I felt about it. I was willing to go to Germany for you. To leave all I knew, learn a foreign language, just to be with YOU!"

I felt a tug at my heart. There was nothing I could say.

"I know why you did it. You told me you loved me and I didn't say it back. I was going to, you know? When I went to see you after the wedding. I was going to tell you then."

I felt a violent stab in my stomach. I reached out and took her hand.

"Bay, please don't think that. The day I told you we were just recovering from a difficult situation. I didn't expect you to say anything. Hell, I was so happy you took me back at all."

Bay sobbed quietly and my heart went out to her.

"I wasn't good enough for you, was that it? I had no experience and you needed more. Yet, I always thought you had a good time with me. I tied to learn as much as possible, maybe I wasn't quick enough."

Now the knife I was feeling in my stomach slowly twisted and prodded, causing agonizing pain. I put my arm around her.

"Bay, please don't ever say or think that. Ever! You hear me? You were the most wonderful woman I've ever been with. There was never ANYTHING wrong with us in that area."

She looked at me with eyes full of hurt.

"Then why, Ty? Help me understand why."

"I don't know." I said quietly.

And how could I know? How could I explain something that had been a lie? I thought about telling her the truth there and then, but what would it achieve? More confusion, possibly more anger. What was the difference between lying and cheating anyway? How could I expect her to understand, especially with her having been pregnant and alone?

Maybe she would throw the towel with Tank then and wait for me. I wasn't sure we were ready to start where we left off. What my son needed most at the moment was stability, not two people fighting and holding grudges. I wasn't stupid, I knew I was at fault about Bay wanting to give up our son, she probably wouldn't have had to make that decision if I'd told her I'd be there for her. But then I would've been dead. Putting a wall around my feelings for Bay had been hard enough, doing it around her and my child would've been a suicide mission.

I wanted to forgive her, I did. I just couldn't right now. I saw her pace around again.

"I just want to know WHY! Emmett couldn't tell me, you can't tell me, why did you do it?"

I don't think I'd ever seen her this angry. Then I did something I'd regret for a long time to come.

"I told you, Bay! I don't KNOW! Why did you kiss me?"

And there and then I saw her crumble in front of me. It was like a light had gone on and simultaneously off again. She placed her hand in front of her mouth.

"Oh my God, Ty! I'm just as bad." She said horrified "I need to get out of here."

"Bay…wait!" I had never felt as low as I did now. But she had already walked out of the door.

I just sat there dumbfounded and angry at myself for the next two hours. I was a horrible person.

**Bay:**

I stormed out of the house and just walked mindlessly for the next hour. I was feeling so ashamed of myself I couldn't even cry. How could I've cheated on Tank like that. Ty was right, I wasn't any better that him, than Emmett.

Tank was good for me, he was good for Diego. Did I still have feelings for Ty? What had made me kiss him, what was I hoping to achieve? I hated myself right now. I didn't want to return home, I didn't want to face Ty again. Yet, I was a mother first and foremost and right now I needed to feed my son.

I returned home and Tank opened the door, holding Diego in his arms. He smiled at me.

"Bay, are you ok? Why weren't you home? Ty said he had to leave to sort something out about his trip. Are you ok?"

I managed to smile at him, to genuinely smile at him.

"I wanted to give Ty some time alone with Diego. Since I needed the exercise, I thought I'd just go for a walk."

Tank smiled.

"Well, you've got a bit of a hungry boy here. And by the way, you don't need any exercise, you look beautiful just the way you are."

I hugged him then and he held me close. I kissed him on the lips.

"Tank, I love you."

I looked at his eyes widen and I would never forget his smile in the turbulent years to come.

"Oh Bay, I love you so much."

_**Please don't hate me! I want the lie to come out, but this was not the time. And I feel bad posting this today of all days when the lie is coming out on the show. I did not time it like this. **_

_**I'm traveling overseas for the next couple of days and I hope to get the next chapter out tomorrow, after that it will take a couple of days for me to update, but I hope that it will be worth the wait. **_

_**Please review and thanks for all the reviews on the Renzo chapter, I had so much fun writing it.**_


	14. Email traffic

_**KC, Missouri and Kosovo **_

_**25 May 2014, 6:14 PM**_

From: Miles "Tank" Conroy

To: Tyler Mendoza

Subject: Football

Howdie Private, how ya hangin' over there. I finally managed to find some time and look at a map to see where you actually are. Funny business over there. Anyway, just wanted to let you know we won the game and I'm now the permanent quarterback for the team. I've been studying like a dog for the finals and the rest of the time is divided between Bay and the gym, so sorry for not having been in touch for the past 2 weeks. I'm another 5 lbs down and can outrun everyone. Your son is doing well, he's being spoiled rotten by all those women hovering over him. There's days when Daphne, Regina, Adriana and Bay are all fighting about who gets to hold him next. Bay started her therapy last week and it seems to be very painful. She's hanging in there trying to put on a brave face, but I know she's worried about college. Anyway, let me know what's cooking over there. I'm attaching a photo of our team with the trophy. Talk soon, Tank

_**28 May 2014, 7:01 AM**_

From: Tyler Mendoza

To: Miles "Tank" Conroy

Subject: Re: Football

Hey there Tank, nice to hear from you and congrats on the win. I'm pretty much about to poke my eyes out with a rusty nail at the boredom of this place. There is nothing to do here but sit around. I'm counting the days to go home and see that son of mine before he gets spoiled to the point of no return. Sorry to hear about Bay, physical therapy is a bitch.

I'll be in touch soon, Ty

_**2 June 2014, 3:01 PM**_

From: Bay Kennish

To: Tyler Mendoza

Subject: Diego

Hi Ty,

Here comes my weekly update on Diego. I'm sorry I can't write much, but it's hard with one hand and I'm doing therapy every day and when I get home I'm in too much pain to type. The therapist seems to think I'm making progress, but I can't really tell. I'm just going to make the decision to apply for college with a different course and then change over to Art as soon as I can. I've spoken to my dad last week. It wasn't pretty and he doesn't want to see Diego, which makes me incredibly sad. He also doesn't want to see me really and I heard that he has a new girlfriend. Toby doesn't speak to him much either. Anyway, the good news is that he's agreed to pay for my college education. For the rest I'm on my own as far as he's concerned. I got your transfer, thank you so much. I'll try and find a job at Maui over the summer as soon as I can work on a babysitting schedule for Diego. Adriana has been wonderful, but her friend Gloria comes back in September and I'll need to move out by then. My grades were very good so I'm sure I'll get into college and can move into one of those duplexes they have for families. Thank you again for the other money you gave me in New York. I'm using it very sparingly, and it helps me a lot not being dependent on other people to raise our son. He's grown a lot since you last saw him. He eats a lot and he's smiling now. The spaceship enterprise was the best gift ever and Diego loves falling asleep with the car setting that makes me queasy. I'm attaching a picture of him in the swing. Unfortunately he seems to suffer from colic and is in a lot of pain most evenings. The doctor says it's normal and should solve itself in the next couple of weeks. Tank has been going to the gym and is watching his food. They won the football tournament, he's very proud of that.

Anyway, I have to stop now as it's actually Toby who's typing out this e-mail for me and he has to go. Come home soon, Diego misses his daddy! Take care, B.

_**4 June 2014, 2:03 PM**_

From: Tyler Mendoza

To: Bay Kennish

Subject: Re: Diego

Hi Bay, sorry to hear about your hand, it sounds incredibly painful. So do the news about your dad. I'm sending you a bit more money next month, since I am now on the pay scale for personnel with dependents. Please try and stay home as much as possible and be with Diego. I'm sure the expenses are monumental, but if you can hang-on for a couple of months until I'm there it would be great. I'd just feel so much better if he was with you. I also get a housing allowance once I'm back, so I've given notice to the family renting my house in East Riverside and I'll be able to move in there and live off-base. The photos of Diego in the swing are great, I can't believe how much he's grown. Sorry to hear about the colic, that must be hard on you. The staff in Carter's dads' office are drawing-up the joint custody agreement and I hope that you'll sign it so that I can get all the paperwork for the dependency benefits sorted out. I can also put him on my health insurance if that helps. I should be coming home in 8 weeks if all goes well. Tell Diego that I love him and I'll see him soon. I'll Skype tomorrow.

_**1 July 2014, 6:00 PM**_

From: MB

To: Tyler Mendoza

Subject: Met your son

Hi Ty,

I finally met your son, he is absolutely precious and he looks so much like you. Bay and I are still not talking and she's still dating that nasty piece of work so I've been keeping my distance. By pure chance I was at the car wash having lunch with Travis, when Adriana brought little Diego to see his uncle Toby. I even got to hold him and Travis snapped a picture (attached). I can't believe how much of this all I've missed and I'm happy that it all seemed to have worked out. I would love to see you, Bay and Diego as a little family. Any chance of that happening? Rooting for you guys! Write soon, MB

_**3 July 2014, 6:07 AM**_

From: Tyler Mendoza

To: MB

Subject: Re: Met your son

Hi MB, so good to hear from you and happy to hear you've met my little Diego. I miss him so much it physically hurts and I can't wait to get home and be a dad. I'm sorry that Bay and you still don't get along. I got to hang-out a lot with Tank while I was in NY and he's a good guy. You should get to know him better. That whole thing with the luau was stupid and a misunderstanding. I really want you to play a big part in Diego's life and it's important that we all get along. The family thing is not happening, sorry. How are you doing otherwise, I know that a very difficult day is coming up tomorrow and I hope that you and your mum get through it well. I'll be thinking of you.

_**30 July 2014, 12:01 AM**_

From: Tyler Mendoza

To: Bay Kennish

Subject: Bad news

Hi Bay, I got the most horrendous news today, they are not releasing me next week as planned and have extended me for another 2 months. I'm so angry right now I could punch through a wall. After having been here for 3 months staring at the walls they're now expecting a shipment of 30 vehicles due to arrive next week. As some of them are badly damaged, they are keeping the motor pool detail here and releasing the rest of my platoon. I can't believe my bad luck and I was ready to just tell them to go to hell yesterday. In any case that is not an option as it'll impact Diego's future. I miss him so much and I am so sad that when I'll see him he'll already be almost 6 months old and I missed out on so much. I gotta go as writing this e-mail has already got my blood boiling again. The good news is that they'll have to compensate me for this extra time and I'll probably be off for close to 2 months when I get back and I'll be able to help you more while you're in college.

Take care and give Diego a hug from me, Ty

_**1 August 2014, 10:13 AM**_

From: Bay Kennish

To: Tyler Mendoza

Subject: Re: Bad news

Oh no, Ty, I'm so sorry to hear that. I can't believe they would do that to you. I'll "explain" to Diego and I'm sure that he'll love you more for this sacrifice you're making. So I guess it'll be the end of September before we get to see you again. Good news about the time off though, that'll help me a lot. I feel bad to be dependent on others to go to college and I'm hoping to get Diego into the college daycare, even if just for the morning. I got an e-mail from the college administration today asking me to come for a meeting and I'm very nervous about it. Wish me luck. Diego sends a kiss. Take care, B.

_**I'm not too happy with this chapter, but didn't really know a better way to make a small time jump. I hope that you won't mind too much and it's back to proper story telling in the next one. Please review.**_


	15. Pigeons, butterflies and the truth

**Kansas City College, 2 August 2014**

**Bay:**

My hands were sweating as I waited at the administration office of the Kansas City College. I was puzzled that I'd been called here as this was not usually the procedure for being accepted into college. I didn't even want to think about the possibility of not getting in; I would really not know what to do with my life then.

Finally an officious looking assistant opened the door and beckoned me in. I stepped into a very intimidating looking room with high ceilings and wood paneling. Three men were sitting around a desk and motioned for me to have a seat.

One of them rose and shook my hand.

"Ms. Kennish, pleased to meet you. I'm Ken Doyle and I run the Admissions Office."

I smiled at him.

"Pleased to meet you Mr. Doyle."

After I was seated he rustled through some papers, which I recognized as my application.

"Ms. Kennish, we've been looking at your application and you have very good grades and a profile that would fit this college."

I took a deep breath. Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as I thought.

"Anyway, the reason we called you here is that we had a call from Professor Lubarski and she advocated on your behalf for us to accept you into our Arts Program."

I took a deep breath "She did?" I couldn't believe it.

"Yes, she did and we need to know the status of your injury. This particular program is very competitive and if we make the decision to accept you, you'll need to be able to keep up."

I flexed the fingers of my right hand "I've done a lot of therapy and I'm currently functioning at 90%. My therapist believes that I will regain full control by the end of the year. I'm ready to put in 110% if you give me this opportunity."

"Very well Ms. Kennish, we will discuss and get back to you by the end of the day tomorrow. In the mean time we're asking you to re-do your application with the intended course."

I felt hopeful for the first time since yesterday "Of course I will, I'll have it ready by this evening."

I saw them get-up. Mr. Doyle extended his hand.

"In any case Ms. Kennish, we'll offer you a spot at the college. It'll just depend in which course. We're also working on getting you into one of our family units."

"Thank you, thank you so much. It means a lot to me."

I left the college in high spirits and made my way to Adriana's house, where Regina was babysitting Diego. Once I got there I opened the door and hugged her.

"Regina, I did it. I got in. Now it just depends on their decision whether it'll be art or languages."

Regina gave me a hug. She had tears in her eyes.

"Bay, I'm so happy for you. And so proud. You are a great artist."

I smiled and then looked at Diego worriedly.

"Now I only have to figure out the babysitting. Ty won't be back until the end of September."

Regina patted my hand.

"We'll figure something out, Bay, don't worry.

I looked at her thankfully.

"You've all been so good to me. I don't know how to thank you."

"Oh Bay, don't be silly, we're all in love with little Diego and happy to get to help. He's my grand-son after all. How are things with Tank?"

I looked up at her surprised. Regina wasn't one to ask much about my love life.

"Things are ok." I said thoughtfully.

"Ok?" Regina raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, I love Tank. I mean…I don't know what love is anymore. I thought I loved Emmett and he hurt me, I thought I loved Ty and he hurt me. I don't love Tank the same way. But I'm sure he won't hurt me. Is that crazy?"

"It's not crazy, Bay. You're an adult and mature enough to know who you want to be with. If you want to be with Tank you should."

I took a deep breath.

"Regina, can I ask you a stupid question?"

"Of course you can Bay. I might have an equally stupid answer." Regina winked at me and smiled.

"Do you think one can't have butterflies when pregnant?"

Regina opened her eyes wide and laughed.

"Oh Bay…of course you can. Nothing stops butterflies."

I sighed.

"I never had butterflies with Tank, Regina. I had butterflies with Emmett, I had bloody pigeons with Ty. I want to have butterflies again one day."

Regina hugged me to her.

"Oh Bay! I'm sorry to hear that. You should have butterflies. But sometimes butterflies get you in trouble. Do you like _being_ with Tank?"

I blushed. I'd never discussed my sex life with Regina before. Yet the proof that I had one was sleeping in the spaceship swing.

"I do. It's good. He makes me feel safe and wanted."

Regina looked at me with her head crooked sideways.

"Be careful Bay. Sometimes we neglect to treat the guys who make us feel safe and wanted like they deserve and then one day they're gone and we realize that safe and wanted was the best after all."

I smiled at Regina.

"Do you speak from experience? Did Angelo make you feel safe and wanted?"

"No Bay…With Angelo I had pigeons." She picked-up her bag "I have to go to work, give that boy a kiss from grandma when he wakes up."

I made myself a coffee and sat at the kitchen table reflecting back on our conversation until Diego woke-up.

**Maui Kansas, 23 August 2014  
**

**Bay**:

Today was the last day at Maui Kansas before they packed everything up for the winter. I wouldn't have minded to have worked there for a couple of hours, however I was eternally thankful for Ty's money and Adriana's free bedroom, which had enabled me to stay at home with Diego instead.

Diego was four months old today and Tank and I had decided to celebrate his "birthday" at Maui. My son was clearly mystified by the sights and sounds around him as he'd been wide awake since we'd parked the car and kept turning his head left and right following the sounds and the lights.

I was seated on a bench waiting for Tank to bring me my last pineapple freezie of this summer. I smiled when I saw him.

"Bay, there are some guys from my fraternity having a ski-ball competition. You want to go and join?"

"Oh Tank, I'm terrible at ski-ball. Why don't I wait for you here instead? I need to reply to an e-mail I got from college about my housing."

"Ok then, if you're sure. I'll be back in half an hour."

I was ecstatic that the college had offered me a two bedroom family apartment and I couldn't wait to be in my own place with my little Diego. The only downside was that I wasn't entitled to any food as I had my own kitchen. I probably would have no choice but to learn to cook. Daphne would have to teach me.

I replied to the e-mail confirming my interest in the apartment, then I saw a shadow in front of me.

"Bay?" I heard my name being called. Surprised I lifted my head and saw Aida's face. I stiffened and frowned.

"Aida." I sighed.

Aida looked at me surprised.

"That must be little Diego. I've heard so much about him. It's nice to see him in person. Ty used to spend his whole day gushing and showing photos." She smiled.

I felt the rage build up in me.

"I'm sure he does. I'm so happy for you and him." I said sarcastically.

Aida frowned.

"Is everything ok Bay? You seem a bit odd."

I snorted.

"A bit odd? I don't know. How should I be around women who sleep with other women's boyfriends?"

Aida opened and closed her mouth. Got ya! I thought to myself.

"Listen Bay, I don't know what you're talking about. Ty and I had a little fling once, but it was years ago and he wasn't with you at the time. I haven't really wanted to be with anyone since Justin."

Her eyes misted over and I looked at her surprised.

"You and Justin? I had no idea. But…but I don't understand. I went to Ty's room the day before he left and I saw the condom, I saw your panties. He told me he'd slept with you."

Aida couldn't look more stunned.

"WHAT are you talking about? Ty told me you guys broke up because he didn't want you to go through what Mary-Beth had to endure when Justin died."

I suddenly felt faint.

"He didn't cheat on me? He lied to me?"

Aida looked at me confused.

"Well, he didn't with me, that's for sure. Why would he have told you that? I'm going to have his head for breakfast."

"I don't know. I was going to go to Art college in Berlin to be with him. I'd already looked everything up in the internet. I was in love with him. He told me he loved me."

I saw a light come on in Aida's eyes.

"He didn't tell you about the change of assignment, did he?"

"What change?" I asked confused.

Aida sat down next to me. Diego blinked.

"Can I hold him?" She asked.

I smiled at her "Of course you can. He loves to be held. I keep blaming Ty, because he insisted on carrying him around for the full two weeks he was here."

Aida laughed and I placed Diego in her arms.

"Who would've thought our super-soldier would've turned into such a softie."

I sat back down next to her.

"Please help me understand what happened."

She sighed as if remembering those events was particularly painful.

"The day before your brother's wedding we got a change in our assignment. Instead of three months in a relatively secure base in Kabul and the rest of the time in Heidelberg, they decided to send our platoon back to Camp Eggers for the full duration of the tour."

My mouth flew open.

"I didn't know, he never told me! He tried to break-up with me at Tobi's wedding. I was so angry."

Aida blinked "It was bad Bay, it was nothing compared to our first tour which had been bad enough. We lost half our platoon. I never thought it would be possible to see so much misery."

I saw tears in her eyes and I placed my hand on hers.

"It's ok Aida. You don't have to talk about it I'm glad that you and Ty are safe."

She smiled through her tears.

"Bay…I don't know what happened to him, but he turned off all his feelings. I think that's what kept him alive. I've never seen anyone so focused before. It was as if he had a seventh sense. He saved a lot of our colleagues. He's the hero of our platoon."

I frowned. "Do you think that if he'd been with me that he'd be dead?"

Aida shook her head.

"Don't say that Bay, it's not fair on you or him. I just think it helped him that he didn't have anyone to think about back home."

I felt dizzy and placed my head in my hands. Aida rubbed my back.

"I'm sorry Bay, I didn't mean to ruin your day. Are you ok? You look white as a sheet."

"No Aida, thank you. Really, thank you. You cannot believe the amount of time I've punished myself asking myself why he would've cheated on me. I asked him while he was here why he'd done it and he couldn't tell me. Why didn't he just tell me the truth?"

Aida shrugged "You'll have to ask him that. I don't know."

"I've always been jealous of you. You are so worldly and a medic and your legs are so long and skinny. I felt insecure and inadequate next to you."

Aida laughed.

"Now you're being silly Bay. I never saw Ty care about anyone like he did about you. I was there when you told him you were dating that other guy, I was there when he ran into you again. I saw how messed up he was when he came back from our first tour and how much you helped him. He was like a different person after he started seeing you again.'

I started crying.

"And now he hates me."

Aida placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, I don't think he hates you. I was there when he read that blog. It was as if the world had collapsed around him. He felt betrayed and hurt."

I sobbed.

"I felt betrayed and hurt as well. I thought he cheated on me and that you two were over there playing perfect couple. I didn't want to give Diego up. I just though it would be better for him."

"Bay, listen to me and don't take what I'm about to say personally. I think that if Ty had known about the baby he'd be dead now. He had two close calls and I think he only survived because he put this wall around his feelings. It was as if he'd turned into ice."

I felt even worse now. "You mean that I would've been responsible for his death?" I asked horrified.

"Bay, it's difficult for a civilian to understand what we went through over there. It was really, really bad. Worse than we'd ever could have imagined.'

"I don' think he'll ever forgive me."

"Give it time Bay, he's changed over there. It will take time for him to have feelings again. He made a good start with Diego, I've seen him change already. He'll forgive you eventually. He keeps telling us what a great mother you are."

I shook my head "This changes everything."

Aida looked at me surprised.

"Do you want to…? I mean, Ty told me about the guy you're dating. That they've become friends…"

"I don't know Aida. I'm with Tank. I care deeply about Tank. Maybe Ty was right when he said we're no good for one another."

Aida was about to say something, then was interrupted by Tank.

"Hey Bay, I didn't realize you had company. I'm Tank." He extended his hand.

"I'm Aida. Nice to meet you."

Tank looked puzzled when he saw my crying face. Then he put two and two together.

"I see. Well Bay, do you want to watch the fireworks?"

I stood-up and took Diego from Aida's arms.

"I just want to go home. Aida, can I have your number?"

She quickly scribbled it on a piece of paper.

"I'll call you." I promised.

"Anytime you want Bay, I'm in KC for one more week to be debriefed and then I'm heading to New York to see my father. We should go out for lunch."

I smiled at her.

"I'd really like that. And thank you."

Aida nodded and walked away. I secured Diego in the stroller.

Tank looked at me puzzled.

"Is that Aida as in…"

I interrupted him "Yes.'

He shook his head." I don't get it."

"Tank, I want to go home. I've got a lot of thinking to do."

**Ty, Kosovo, the following morning:**

It was half past six in the morning and I had just sat down in the cafeteria to have my breakfast, when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

I turned around and saw a young soldier from the Communications Center.

"Private First Class Mendoza, I have someone on the line for you from the base in Kansas City, Missouri."

I looked at my watch surprised. It was past 11 at night in KC. I got up worried and jogged to the phone. Please don't let it be Diego…

I croaked as I answered the phone "Mendoza"

I heard a familiar voice on the other end "It's Aida."

I let out a relieved breath "Aida, what's up. Why are you calling me so late. Did anything happen?"

"Yes, Mendoza, something happened. I ran into Bay and Diego today at Maui."

My heart nearly stopped. I was speechless.

"Your son is the sweetest baby. I got to hold him."

I closed my eyes in pain. There was no way Bay would've let Aida anywhere near Diego, unless….

"That is, after we cleared up a misunderstanding. Ty…are you still there?"

"Yes" I croaked "Aida, I'm sorry. I didn't' mean to…"

Aida interrupted me.

"Hey, I'm a big girl. No need to apologize to me. But Mendoza, I think you'll have some explaining to do when you talk to Bay on Skype today."

I ran a hand through my hair.

"She's going to kill me."

"Ty, I think we had a good chat. She is mightily upset, but I think that a part of her gets it. Just don't be an asshole when you talk to her."

I had to smile at Aida's directness.

"I'll try my best."

We said our goodbyes and I hung up the phone. My appetite was gone, I felt nauseous. She was never going to forgive me. I made my way to the motor pool and for the first time in months I was dreading my Skype call to Bay.

**This was a lightly longer chapter. I had time to write it on the plane so excuse any typos. I hope you liked it. There's a lot of drama to come in the next few chapters.**


	16. I just want to be alone

**Adriana's house, East Riverside, 24 August**

**Bay:**

I woke up with Diego's hungry cry. I didn't know how much I had slept, maybe one or two hours as I'd tossed and turned the whole night trying to make sense of what Aida had told me. Tank had driven me home in silence, I could feel him brooding next to me, dying to ask me what we had talked about, but I just felt drained and in no state to repeat a conversation I could make no sense of.

I picked-up my son and let him feed. The sucking noise was oddly satisfying and calming. I looked down at the downy black hair and kissed his head.

"I love you so much. Today your Dad and I will need to have a very serious chat, so you'll need to behave."

Diego opened his eyes and looked at me with a serious expression. He must have understood the gravity of the situation. I picked-up my iPhone and fired a quick e-mail to Ty. I didn't even bother writing past the subject line.

_We need to talk. Call me on Skype as soon as you can. B._

I looked at the clock and saw that it was another two hours before the scheduled Skype call. I fired up my laptop in any case and went to get a coffee while it started up.

Sitting on the bed I laid a gurgling Diego between my legs and looked at the screen. As if by magic I saw the call from Ty coming through two seconds later. I took a deep breath and accepted the call.

When I saw his haunted looking face with dark circles under his eyes, I knew that Aida had called him and that he hadn't fared much better than I last night. That's when I started crying. Silent tears streamed down my face.

"Bay, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." I heard him say in a low voice. "Please don't cry."

"Why Ty, why?" I croaked "The one thing that would hurt me the most. You have no idea how you made me feel."

I saw him rub his eyes.

"I know. I tried at the party, I tried telling you I wanted a break. I didn't want you to suffer."

I got angry then.

"Didn't want me to suffer? Have you got any idea what I've been through? You dragged my heart under a bus and backed over it again and again."

"I know Bay, but how would you have felt if I had died. I kept seeing MB's face and I couldn't have you go through that."

I continued crying.

"Where you ever going to tell me the truth? Why didn't you tell me in NY? You had the perfect opportunity."

Ty took a deep breath.

"It wasn't the right time. I was about to leave. You're seeing someone. I just thought it'd be better to leave it as it was."

"All this time, Ty. I was pregnant, confused. You never thought of telling me?"

"I did, Bay. I sent you and e-mail one month after I'd been deployed. I was planning on telling you. I felt so bad those first weeks. You never replied, then MB told me you were seeing someone."

I felt a violent pain go through me. I had deleted that e-mail.

"Oh Ty, oh no! I was feeling so bad that day. I'd just had a fight with Emmett and a terrible hangover from a frat party. I was just so tired of it all. I deleted it."

I saw a shadow coming over Ty's eyes at the mention of Emmett.

"Bay, can we talk this through when I get back? I have no privacy here. I'm coming home in 10 days."

My spirits lifted slightly. I managed a small smile.

"You are? That was quicker than expected."

I turned the laptop screen down so that the camera was on Diego. I tickled his tummy in the spot that always made him smile. He gurgled loudly.

"You hear that Diego? Daddy will be home soon."

I let Ty talk to Diego for a minute, then lifted the screen again. Ty had tears in his eyes.

"He's just so perfect, Bay. How did we manage to create that in the middle of all this mess?"

I nodded thoughtfully "We were happy then Ty. He's a happy baby."

"I can't wait to see him, to hold him."

"Let me know the details of your flight as soon as you have it."

Ty nodded "Bay, again, I'm sorry. We'll talk."

"Yes, Ty, we will. Right now I need some time to think. I'll speak to you tomorrow."

I ended the connection and lay back on the bed. I tried to remember a time when life had been easy. I couldn't.

I was going to have a busy week ahead, with moving into my new place and starting college. My therapy was still taking up a lot of my time and I'd increased the sessions to the maximum allowed in order to get my hand back working. It was better, but I still had a long road ahead of me.

I was glad that Ty would be here just mere days after I started college. Everyone around me was so busy and I always felt bad asking people to baby-sit. I also wanted to avoid putting Diego in childcare for another couple of months as babies of his age were prone to get sick in that environment.

I finished dressing Diego and heard my phone. I picked it up and saw a message from Tank.

**Can we talk? I can come round now**

I took a deep breath and replied.

**Yes I am home**

My sleepless night had not been fruitless. I'd done a lot of thinking and I knew what I wanted. At least I thought I did.

Tank was there half an hour later and we settled on the couch. He picked-up Diego and looked at me.

"Do you want to tell me what happened yesterday?"

I felt the pain through my body once more.

"He didn't do it, Tank, he didn't cheat."

Tank blanched slightly "What?" He asked.

I told him everything Aida had said. At the end I looked at Tank's stunned face.

"Wow, Bay. I don't know whether he deserves a punch or a medal."

I sighed "I know he doesn't deserve a medal, at the same time I don't think he deserves to be punched either. I just feel so betrayed and hurt and at the same time happy he didn't cheat."

Tank nodded. He looked at me sadly.

"What does this mean for us? You've always had feelings for him." He held up a hand when I wanted to interrupt "No, Bay, I'm talking now. I'm not stupid. I also preferred not to acknowledge and look the other way. There's a lot of unresolved business there and furthermore you share a child. This is not black and white Bay."

I felt the familiar tears stinging in my eyes again. I took Tank's hand in mine.

"Tank, I care so much about you. You've meant the world to me this past year. I couldn't have made it without you."

He squeezed my hand.

"But you're breaking up with me. I know Bay. Somehow I knew since yesterday."

"Tank, I just need to be on my own for a while. Not with you, not with Ty, just with Diego." I wiped my eyes "I feel like the past three years all I've done is fret over guys, I need to be alone to find out what I want to do."

Tank's eyes moistened over as well and I felt my heart break.

"Bay, as devastated as I am about this. I think you might be right."

I smiled at him through my tears.

"Could we be friends someday? You mean so much to me."

Tank got-up and kissed my cheek.

"Maybe one day, Bay. Right now I'll need some time away from you until I can get my feelings in check."

He kissed Diego's forehead.

"I'll miss you, buddy. Your Dad will be home soon and he's so much looking forward to seeing you."

I watched him leave through my tears. I was going to miss Tank so much. Yet, I felt like I'd had the first real adult moment of my life. I'd made my decision and I stuck by it. Right now I needed to embrace the single life.

**KC airport, 4 September**

**Ty:**

I made my way through the hallways leading to the luggage collection area as quickly as possible. The last two days had felt like two months and I couldn't wait to see my baby. I looked at the monitor and saw that it would take another 10 minutes for the first bag to come. I cursed under my breath.

Finally I saw my bag and collected it. I cleared customs in under a second as I was in uniform and was waved through by a smiling officer.

I burst into the arrivals hall and looked around. Then I saw Regina with Diego in her arms. He was holding a balloon boasting the words "Welcome Home Dad.' I ran over to them. Regina hugged me.

"Welcome home, Ty."

I smiled at her.

"Where's Bay? She told me she'd be here."

"Bay had the orientation at college today. It's compulsory and she couldn't miss it. We'll go to Adriana's house now and she'll meet us there in a couple of hours."

I nodded and held out my arms for Diego, who had started crying. Regina smiled and passed him to me after removing the balloon tied to his wrist. I cradled him.

"Hey Diego, why are you crying buddy. I missed you so much and you've grown a lot and are so heavy now."

Upon hearing my voice Diego stopped crying. He blinked a couple of times in confusion, then raised his chubby little hand and put it on my cheek. I felt tears in my eyes. I looked at Regina.

"Do you think he recognizes me?"

Regina had moist eyes as well.

"You know what, Ty? I think he does. It's the most beautiful thing I've seen. Bay would have loved to see that."

I managed to hold Diego and my bag at the same time, after having declined any assistance from Regina, who offered to carry it for me.

We secured Diego into the car seat and I got in next to Regina.

"How's she been?" I asked her.

Regina looked at me knowingly.

"You mean after the bomb Aida dropped on her? Oh Ty!"

"I'm sorry Regina, I thought I was doing the right thing."

She patted my knee.

"I know you did, Ty. As a mother I commend you for it, as a woman I'm angry at you."

"Regina, if I'd known that she was pregnant I would've dropped everything to be with her. I didn't. All I knew was that she'd moved on."

"I know Ty, it all went a bit wrong. But hey, we're here now and we figured it out. We're all in love with Diego."

I smiled and looked back, where my son had fallen asleep in his chair.

"How's Tank? I haven't heard from him in the past two weeks."

Regina shot me a sideways look.

"I have no idea. They broke up."

I looked at her in astonishment.

"They WHAT? I had no idea. When?"

Regina didn't say anything.

"After she found out. Right, Regina?"

"Yes"

I ran a hand over my eyes.

"Regina, I don't know…"

She interrupted me "Ty, you need to be a good father now and Bay needs to be a good mother. That's all. I don't think she broke up with him because of you. I think she needs some time alone. She's doing well, Ty. Better than I've seen her do in a long time. It's hard on her with the baby, the therapy and college starting tomorrow. If you want to be there for her, help her with taking care of Diego. That's her main worry."

I looked at Regina again. I don't think I've ever heard her say so much in one go. I smiled at her.

"I'll try and be the best father ever."

She smiled at me "What are your plans for now, Ty?"

"I'm off for the next 3 weeks. I'm planning on getting the house sorted and have it ready for Diego in a couple of days. After that they've offered me the choice of working nights. I was going to speak to Bay to find out about her schedule. If she could choose some afternoon classes, I could stay with him everyday until the evening."

Regina nodded "That might work, Ty. I went by your place yesterday. The furniture is there, but I don't think your tenants treated it with a lot of care. In fact I think your great-aunt would've turned in her grave if she saw the place like that. You'll need to paint it and get some stuff for Diego."

I nodded "I'll get that done as soon as possible."

"You can use Adriana's house during the day if you want until you're settled. It's close and both Gloria and her are away for the whole day."

I was eternally grateful for Regina and her practicality.

We arrived and I took Diego out of his seat and quickly settled on the sofa with him. Regina offered to fix me a coffee. One hour later I heard a car and Bay's voice talking on the phone. I stood up with Diego in my arms.

She rushed through the door and momentarily stopped in her tracks when she saw me. Then she hugged me.

"Oh Ty, I'm so happy you're here."

I held her close.

"Not as happy as I am."

I stepped back and looked at her. She looked happy, genuinely relaxed and happy. It reminded me of the day I'd seen her at Maui for the first time.

"You look good, Bay." I smiled at her.

"Thank you Ty, I feel good. Let's feed that hungry baby and I'll tell you all about my day."

I listened carefully as she walked me through the paces of preparing Diego's formula and the other bits and pieces she offered about his routine. She promised to take me back with her to her apartment and show me the rest over there.

After I'd fed Diego, I told her the same I had Regina and I saw her eyes light up.

"Ty, that is wonderful. My therapy is every day in the morning, so I chose my classes for the afternoons only. It will work out beautifully. I'll take Diego with me to therapy and then drop him off with you. Maybe you could bring him back to the college before you get to the base. It's on the way."

I smiled at her "I'm glad it will work out."

We left soon after and had a look at my house. I was appalled at the state of it and knew that I would've to put some serious work in over the next two weeks.

Then we drove to the college and Bay was able to get me an access badge so that I could come and drop Diego off. I really liked her apartment and she showed me were she kept his clothes and diapers and anything else I might need.

She didn't mention the fake cheating incident and I was incredibly relieved. Something had happened to her over the past two weeks. She seemed so adult all of sudden. I really liked it.

When I saw that she looked tired I excused myself and declined her offer of driving me back to East Riverside. I would walk or take a taxi. Once I was out of her building and walking towards the exit, I pulled out my phone and called Tank. I don't know what made me do it; I just knew that I really missed his company.

He picked-up after the first ring.

"Soldier, are you back in town?" I heard him say.

"I got in today. I…I heard about what happened from Regina. I'm sorry man. I was hoping you might want to grab a beer. I know this is a bit weird, but I was really looking forward to see you."

Tank laughed at the other end.

"I was hoping you'd call. See you in 10 minutes."

We met at a bar just outside the college and it was amazing how easily we slipped back into our routine conversation. We carefully avoided talking about Bay, focusing on sports and healthy diets instead.

After three beers I was ready to go home and I called a taxi.

Just as I put the phone back in my pocket I saw MB standing in front of me. She looked livid.

"MB, how nice to see you! I was going to call you tomorrow. I just got back today."

I moved to hug her, but she stepped back.

"I can't believe you get back and the first person you call is HIM! I thought I meant more to you than that."

She turned around and stormed off. I looked at Tank, who lifted his hands.

"Women!" He said.

I felt slightly sad at MBs reaction, but decided that I wouldn't let it spoil my otherwise perfect day. I said goodbye to Tank and got into the taxi. I suddenly felt incredibly tired.

**This was a long chapter on a long flight. I'm back in the US, yay! **

**Did you like it? Next chapter I'm planning to have some fun again and maybe bring Renzo back for a little bit. But by now you all know what happens after funny chapters. My dark side comes out! Please review**.


	17. The calm before the storm

**The KC Country Club, 23 April 2015**

**Bay**:

I couldn't believe my baby boy was turning one today. Time had flown by and it seemed like only yesterday that I'd held him in my arms for the first time in that New York Hospital.

I smiled at the Elmo cake on the table in front of me. It had been made by a friend of Gloria's. Diego couldn't be more un-interested, all he cared about was a giant balloon in the form of a car which he was grabbing onto for dear life with his sticky fingers.

"Dad, mom and baby, smile for the camera!" I heard the club photographer shout. Ty placed his arm around my shoulders and we smiled.

I looked around the table and was so happy when I saw all the familiar faces that meant so much to me. I smiled at my mum, Regina, Adriana, Renzo, Daphne, Emmett, Tank, Toby, Nikki, Aida, MB, Travis, Angelo, Campbell, Gloria and Paloma.

Not wanting a big party, we'd simply invited everyone to the Club for an afternoon of games, cake and swimming. It had been the best idea ever. I lit the candle and everyone started singing Happy Birthday. Emmett and Daphne signed the words and Diego looked at them mesmerized.

We helped our son blow out his candle and started cutting and serving the cake to the guests. After everyone had eaten their slice, my mum made a small toast and declared the swimming to be open for our enjoyment.

"You mind if I take him in the pool?" I heard Ty ask me.

"No, go ahead. I'll sit with my mom and Renzo for a bit."

The big group dispersed and I saw Daphne with Campbell; Regina with Angelo, Gloria and Paloma; Travis, MB and Emmett with Toby; and Aida with Tank.

I saw Ty walk towards Tank with Diego in his arms and Tank nodding at something Ty said and they walked in direction of the pool. I shook my head at their odd friendship. They hardly went a week without meeting up and were so at ease with one another.

I sat at the table with my mum and Renzo.

"Mum, thank you so much for organizing this and for coming over. I'm having such a good time."

"Oh Bay, of course I'd come over I wouldn't miss my grand-sons birthday for he world. I'm just sorry I can't be here more often."

I smiled at her.

"Well, Diego and I really enjoyed spending spring break up in New York with you."

Renzo came back with some drinks and was fanning himself.

"It's so hot today. Where's that baby or yours Bay?"

"Ty is taking him into the pool for a swim."

My mum looked puzzled when she saw Renzo getting up again with the drinks.

"Come ladies, we're going to sit by the pool." He motioned to me and mum.

"What?" I heard my mother say "It's so nice here in the shade. Are you going swimming?"

I laughed out loud "No, mum, he's not. He wants to see Ty without his shirt on again, don't you Renzo?"

Renzo pulled my hand "You know me so well, my dear, come on Kathryn, we don't have all day."

My mum laughed and got up.

Ty was just finishing putting the sun cream on Diego and we got there just in time to see him take-off his shirt and shorts. I heard Renzo gasp loudly when he saw Ty in his swimming trunks.

"He's divine!" Renzo whispered.

Ty looked in our direction and pointed for Diego to wave at us. Renzo waved back coyly and I made a gesture to Ty pointing at Renzo. Ty laughed and did a handstand before letting himself drop into the pool. Renzo gasped loudly and held onto my arm.

"Bay, how can you NOT be with him?"

I laughed "I don't know, I really don't want to be with anyone right now. Ty has been such a great help with the baby, I wouldn't know what to do without him."

Tank took off his shirt next and handed Diego to Ty. Diego screeched in ecstasy once he hit the water. There was nothing our son liked more than being in a pool.

Renzo looked at Tank critically.

"That one has certainly got into shape since I last saw him a couple of months ago."

I shrugged "Yes, him and Ty work out together."

My mom smiled at me "Weirder things have happened, I guess." She said.

I laughed "I tried so often to understand that friendship of theirs and I just can't. But it works for them."

Regina walked over to us accompanied by Wes, who must have turned-up out of nowhere as I hadn't seen him earlier.

"Bay, I just ran into Wes inside the Club and he has a proposal for you that you might find interesting."

I smiled at Wes "I'm all ears."

"You know the building I'm developing bought in East Riverside and that your mother is decorating?"

"Yes, of course I do, I lived right next door last summer." I said.

"Well, the first two floors will be a shopping mall and Regina showed me some of your artwork. I was wondering if you'd like to have a permanent exhibition space over there where you could sell your paintings. You can have it for free."

I nodded open-mouthed "Oh, I would love that. Not sure if anyone will want to buy them, but it would be awesome if I could put them on show."

Wes smiled and shook my hand.

"The space will open in the next 6 months. Regina will be in touch with you. Pleasure doing business with such a young and talented artist. I've got to run; I'm late for a meeting."

I said goodbye and turned towards my mum, Renzo and Regina.

"Wow"! I said astonished.

Renzo clapped his hands excitedly.

"Bay, I'm so happy for you, one day I'll host one of your exhibitions in a gallery in Chelsea."

I laughed "I'm not sure that day will ever come, but thanks."

I made my rounds chatting to Daphne, Emmett and Toby and Adriana helped me get all of Diego's gifts into my car. I wasn't sure where I was going to fit them all in my small apartment.

Ty met me at the car with Diego, whose eyes were glowing from all the excitement of the party and being in the pool. Ty looked very excited.

"Bay, stand here and don't move." He commanded.

I looked at him puzzled, but did as told. He moved a few steps back and put Diego on the floor.

"Call him." Ty said.

I smiled a big smile "Ty, don't tell me he…"

"Diego, go to mommy."

I knelt and opened my arms and my little boy tottered towards me unsteadily. He made it into my arms and smiled. I was laughing and turned him round.

"Go to daddy."

Diego squealed and made his way back to Ty. I couldn't believe it. Our son was walking. What a milestone. Ty was also smiling and trying to take a picture on his phone. He looked up at me.

"Can I take you two to diner to celebrate? His birthday and his first steps."

"I'd love that. Can I transfer half of these toys to your car so that I'm not stuck with all of them at my apartment?"

Ty nodded and we divided the presents between our two cars. I put Diego in his car seat and Ty followed us to a Mexican Restaurant I loved.

By the time we arrived Diego was fast asleep. I transferred him into his stroller and he didn't even stir. We ordered the food and I told Ty about the conversation with Wes.

**Ty:**

I was thoroughly enjoying having diner with Bay. I didn't count Diego as he was asleep in his stroller. It suddenly occurred to me that we hadn't had a meal together since I'd gotten back more than seven months ago.

Our lives were so simple and uncomplicated as we stuck to our routine in which Bay would drop off Diego around noon before going to college and I would drop him back at her apartment on the way to the base. Every second weekend, Bay would leave Diego at my house for two days. We had settled into such a regimented lifestyle, that our paths rarely crossed for more than 10 minutes each day. Other than going to Diego's doctors appointments, there was really no other time we spent together.

Our food arrived and Diego stirred at the noise. Bay ran a hand through his hair.

"Time has flown by. It seems like yesterday that he was a tiny baby." She said.

I smiled at her.

"He's such a great kid, Bay. I don't know what I'd do without him."

"He's the best!" Bay started eating as soon as Diego had turned his head and was back asleep.

"You don't like peppers anymore?" I asked astonished as I observed her picking at her food.

"I went off them while I was pregnant. That and perfume, I can't stand the smell anymore." She looked at my chicken breast "What happened to greasy tacos?"

I shrugged "I don't have them anymore. I try not to have sugar or fat."

Bay looked horrified "How can you? That would kill me." She paused for a second "I guess we've changed a lot."

I nodded and looked down at my food. My cell phone rang once and I saw that it was a message from Aida.

"Is Aida in town?" Bay asked.

"It seems so. She was at an Army Hospital in Texas until last month, but she might have been transferred over here."

"I must call her to have lunch." Bay said.

"Yes, that would be nice. She'd love to see Diego, I'm sure."

I saw Bay shift uncomfortably in her seat "Ty, can I ask you something?"

"Sure"

"I mean, I don't want you to take this the wrong way, and it's not like I think about this much or that I haven't forgiven you or anything, it's just something that's been bugging me for months and…."

I interrupted her "Bay, just ask."

"Why were there girl's panties and a condom on your bed that day?"

I took a deep breath and looked at Diego. I don't know why, as he wouldn't understand anyway, but this was not the conversation I wanted to have in front of my son.

"Carter asked to borrow my room so that he could be with his girlfriend on his last day. He had a double and wanted some alone time. Guess they didn't think much of cleaning up after themselves."

Bay nodded "Now it makes sense. It was the last piece of the puzzle I was missing."

I nodded and we looked at the table in uncomfortable silence.

"I'm sorry" I said again.

Bay lifted her hand "Ty, I don't want to talk about it anymore. I made my peace with it. It's just something I didn't understand. You explained and that's that."

"Works for me." I said.

Bay was good at steering the conversation away and soon we were talking about her college classes, the teachers she liked and the ones she didn't and the projects she was working on for her finals.

When the waiter brought us the bill, I was surprised that we'd sat at the restaurant for almost three hours.

"This was nice, Ty." Bay was smiling at me.

"It was." I said simply.

I pushed the stroller over to Bay's car and lifted Diego into the car seat. Bay popped the trunk and lifted the stroller into it. She must have lost her footing for a moment as I felt her bump into me. I lifted a hand to steady her and as she turned around she was flush against my chest. I'm not sure what came over me that instant, but feeling her hair on my hand and her smell made me pull her towards me and kiss her.

I felt her tense for a second and then she just melted into my arms. I could feel her hand gripping my hair as my tongue ran over her lips. She opened her mouth and we met in a frenzied kiss.

When we finally came up for air, we looked at each other in bewilderment. I felt Bay's hands cupping my face and she planted a small kiss on my mouth.

"Ty, this is going to complicate things, isn't it?"

I nodded "Immensely." But I pulled her towards me again as my mouth crashed into hers.

It took a while for me to pull myself away.

"I need to get to work." I said as I looked at my watch.

Bay nodded and looked at me confused "And now what?"

I shrugged and winked at her "Will you go on a date with me?"

She smiled "I might just do that."

**A short uplifting chapter. I hope you liked it. I wasn't planning on having them kiss just yet, but as I was writing it felt right. The next chapter will be very intense and dark. Looking forward to your reviews as always.**


	18. What would you do?

_**WARNING: This chapter contains swearing and violence. If you're offended please don't read.**_

**Bay's apartment, the following morning:**

**Bay**:

I couldn't really say that I'd slept well. Our diner and that kiss had thrown me off my game. I had thoroughly enjoyed being single and not having to fret about men for the past 7 months. I now knew that I was able to cope all by myself and it made me feel really good. Besides having to cook, something I was struggling with greatly, I had felt great. Time had flown by and taking care of Diego and my studies had made me feel strangely fulfilled.

Yet, he'd kissed me and it had changed everything. The pigeons were eating me up from the inside every time I thought about the events of last night. Why had it been so easy to slip back into our habits and lip lock as if it had been yesterday? Were we ready for this? To start dating and possibly be a family and good parents for Diego? I didn't know, but I knew that I wanted to give it a shot.

I got Diego ready to go and made my way to East Riverside. I was feeling queasy when I got out of the car in front of Ty's house. How was he going to react? Was he already regretting his actions from last night? I took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.

He opened it almost immediately while having some incredibly complicated sounding conversation on the phone about his internet service. He made a gesture for me to come in and I set my bag on the kitchen table and placed Diego on the floor. I looked at Ty pacing up and down and wanted to leave.

I had to wait another 5 minutes before he hung-up the phone. I watched him closely as he knelt to ruffle Diego's hair and tried to read his face, but I could see nothing there. Finally he walked up to me.

"Hi, sorry about that, my internet hasn't been working for the past two days."

I smiled at him.

"It's ok."

He stood in front of me looking unsure of what to do next. He ran a hand through his hair.

"Could this feel any weirder?" He asked me.

I shrugged "It's pretty messed up."

He took my face in his hands "I really want to kiss you."

I let out a sigh of relief "I think I want that as well."

He leant towards me and just as his lips where about to touch mine I pushed him back. He looked at me puzzled.

"Ty, I need to ask you this. I don't know why it's so important to me, but do you feel butterflies?"

He opened his eyes in astonishment "Butterflies? What in God's name!"

"Yes butterflies. In your stomach. When you kissed me last night, when you were about to kiss me now. Do you feel them?"

He placed a hand on his stomach "Hold-on, let me check."

I saw him lean towards me and then he kissed me. It wasn't like the kisses we'd shared last night; we were both conscious of our little boy standing next to us. It was short and sweet. Ty pulled back with a smile.

"Yep, there are butterflies."

I smiled and hugged him. "Then it's ok." He folded me into his arms and pulled me against him. I felt is hand stroking my back before he ran it over my bottom. I pulled back.

"I want to do this right, Ty. I want to be wooed before we take this any further."

I heard him laugh. He patted my bottom playfully.

"Well then, Ms. Kennish, I'll do my best. I'm afraid I can't take you out for diner for another week as they've asked me to increase my hours until Saturday. There's a shortage of night staff. I'm starting at 7 instead of 11 this whole week."

I patted his chest "Saturday it is then. I need to go; you're making me late for class."

He walked me to the door, Diego trailing behind him. Just as I was stepping out he took my hand.

"Bay…I want to make this work this time round."

I smiled at him "So do I."

**Kennish guest house, evening of the same day**

**Bay:**

Concentrating on my classes today had been hard. I needed someone to talk to and I called Regina, effectively inviting myself over to diner. I arrived with Diego and hugged Regina and Daphne. My stomach grumbled at the delicious smell coming from the oven.

I realized that I hadn't eaten all day.

"Daphne must have been cooking judging by the smell." I said sarcastically while signing.

"Oh thank you, Bay. Why did I invite you round again?" Regina scoffed while holding Diego in her arms.

I laughed "Cooking gene passed down from you to me, Regina. Or should I say the non-cooking gene?"

I sat down at the table and greedily attacked the delicious looking lasagna. Diego ate it with his fingers and was a mess after five minutes.

"You look different." Regina said "Did something happen?"

I took a deep breath. Here it goes.

"Ty kissed me."

Daphne and Regina both stopped eating. They looked at me with their mouths open.

"And?" Daphne signed.

"And I liked it. We're going on a date on Saturday."

"You're going on a date?" Regina was baffled.

"Yes."

"Wow." That was all Regina managed.

"I don't know what will happen. Just that we're committed to give this another go."

"I'm really happy for you guys" Daphne said "I would love to see you as a little family."

"Have you told Tank?" Regina asked "Those two are very close."

My eyes clouded over briefly.

"Not yet. I want to see how it goes first."

It felt good to have spoken to them and in some way I was yearning for their approval. Time would take care of the rest.

**The following Saturday**

**Bay:**

Ty and I managed to spend the past week just as we always did. I dropped off Diego in the late morning and he brought him back in the evening. The only difference was that he pecked me on the lips twice a day. I was so busy studying for my finals that I welcomed having no distraction.

Today we were going on our date. Tank had invited Ty to watch the football in the afternoon and was collecting him at 2. Diego had stayed at Ty's the previous night and I agreed to come and collect him so that Ty and Tank could go to the game before I dropped Diego at Adriana's for the evening.

I wanted to look nice and called Paloma to make an appointment for the afternoon. For now I just slipped into jeans and a t-shirt.

I was sweating by the time I got round to Ty's one hour later. It was only the beginning of May, but somehow a heat wave had unexpectedly hit KC. I was slightly worried, as I knew that Ty's house did not have air conditioning.

I rang the doorbell twice and heard no movement inside. I suspected Ty was in as his car was parked in front of mine and he wouldn't have taken Diego out in this heat. Shrugging, I looked for my spare key and let myself in. The lounge was empty and I quietly made my way to the bedroom.

When I got there I gasped and leaned on the doorway with a smile. Ty was sleeping in his boxers with Diego half on his chest. He was only wearing a diaper and sucking on his pacifier with abandon. Ty had placed a fan next to the bed, which blew air into their faces every couple of seconds making Diego's curls stand up.

I quietly fished out my phone to snap a picture of the adorable pair. I made my way towards the bed as slowly as possible.

**Ty**:

_It was one of those sweltering nights in Kandahar and I wiped my brow as I patrolled the compound for the tenth time that night. Once in a while a slight breeze would come over my face and I welcomed it._

_It had been one of the worse weeks we'd had and we'd been under constant attack by insurgents. The most dangerous weapon they had at the moment were flash grenades, which caused destruction and death in a matter of seconds._

_I'd let my guard down for less than a second when I felt a shadow move over me, followed by a bright flash. I knew I was going to die there and then, yet I raised my arm one last time to swipe at the attacker. If I was going to die, so was he.._

I opened my eyes confused as I heard a scream and a loud thud. Then Diego started crying. I rose in the bed and saw that my son had fallen on the floor, then turned around and saw Bay kneeling by my desk bleeding from a cut on her mouth.

Horrified I first picked Diego up and checked that he was unharmed, before running over to Bay.

"Bay, oh my God, I'm so sorry. Bay, look at me, please." I could feel my heart constrict in my chest as I saw the bruise forming on her cheek as she held her fingers pressed on the wound on the corner of her lip.

Diego had stopped crying and I set him down before taking Bay into my arms. Tears were streaming down my face as my hands shook.

"Bay, talk to me, please. I'm so sorry. I had a nightmare and thought I was under attack. I can't believe I've hurt you and Diego."

She looked up at me stunned "I'm ok Ty, I'm ok. I saw you lying there with Diego and I wanted to take a photo…I'm sorry I should have known better."

"Bay, don't apologize, I'm horrified at this. Can you stand-up?"

She did so shakily and I started undoing the buttons of her blouse. I fetched one of my shirts and handed it to her.

"You're all bloody. Put this on."

Bay discarded her blouse and put on my shirt not bothering to close it up. I went into the kitchen and she followed me with Diego trailing behind.

I rummaged in my freezer for an ice-pack and handed it to her. When she picked it up I noticed the bruise on her wrist. I felt like the air had been punched out of my lungs.

"Oh Jesus, look what I've done." I sat down next to her on the couch. She leaned into me.

"Ty, I'm ok. Please stop punishing yourself."

I put ran a hand over my eyes, swiping away the tears.

"Stop punishing myself? Bay, have you seen what I did to you?"

"It was an accident, Ty."

I felt that tightness in my chest again.

"An accident that could've gotten you and Diego killed. Oh God!"

"Yes, but Diego is fine, I'll be fine. Please stop. You're shaking like a leaf. Take a deep breath."

I leaned back and closed my eyes. We sat in silence for the next couple of minutes. I checked to see that the bleeding had stopped. That's when I heard the doorbell. I went to open the door and Tank and Aida made their way inside.

Tank looked at me "Are you going to the game wearing your boxers?" Then he looked over my shoulder and saw Bay.

I could feel his anger well before he landed the punch "You fucking asshole."

I flew back from the force of the blow.

"Tank, don't!" Bay shouted "It was an accident, I can explain."

Tank looked at Bay with wild eyes "Bay, I never thought you'd be one of those women."

I saw him turn around and walk through the door "I'm calling the police." And he was gone.

I had gotten up by then and saw Bay running towards a horrified Aida.

"Aida, you've got to stop him. It was an accident. He had a nightmare while I was taking a photo of them. He thought he was under attack. Aida, please don't let him do that."

Aida looked at me with a question in her eyes. I confirmed with a nod. She nodded sadly and turned towards the door.

"I'll try and stop him. But we'll need to talk about this."

But it was too late. Tank had left.

_**This was the darkest chapter I've ever written. What would you have done? I think I would've done the same Tank did. Please review.**_


	19. A difficult time

_**WARNING: Sexual content in this chapter. Do not read if it offends you.**_

**Ty's house, East Riverside**

**Bay:**

I watched as Aida came back shaking her head. I felt a wave of despair hit me as I thought about Tank and what he'd done. All we could do is wait now. There was no point talking to Ty as he was in shock, so I decided to go and find something to eat for Diego. I went to the bathroom first and was appalled at seeing my face. Being this fair, I'd always bruised easily and my cheek looked horrendous. I buttoned up Ty's shirt and brushed my hair and went back into the kitchen. Aida joined me.

"Bay, this will be messy. I'm calling Carter." She told me.

I nodded. "Why?"

"His father is an attorney with the Department of Defense, he'll need representation."

I could feel the anger build up in me.

"Why? He didn't do anything. I told you it was an accident. I'm going to kill Tank."

"I understand Bay, but the police and Social Services won't see it that way. Especially with a young child and the shared custody. He'll likely lose it for a while."

I started crying then.

"They can't do that Aida. Diego needs his father, I need him as well. They wouldn't, would they?"

Aida looked at me worriedly.

"They will. I've seen it happen before."

"It's all my fault Aida. He's been acting so normal. I completely forgot that the slightest thing could set him off. I shouldn't have snapped that picture."

Aida grabbed my hand then.

"Bay, listen to me. Whatever you do, you cannot say it's your fault, you hear me? That will make things worse.'

I nodded.

"Thanks for being here. Why are you here by the way?" I asked her puzzled.

Aida looked embarrassed "I went on two dates with Tank. First I laughed it off, but then I don't know. He kind of reminds me of Justin."

I smiled for the first time.

"Ty said the same. Tank used to be such a good guy. I don't know how he could've done this."

"Bay, I know this is hard to take in, but he did it because he's a good guy. When we walked in here I thought the worse myself and I know Ty very well."

I was angry again.

"Then you know that he wouldn't hurt me. You know how he feels about that stuff ever since that girl went missing in Kabul."

"You're right but Tank doesn't know that and I'm just telling you what it looked like. He cares about you Bay. It must have killed him to think that Ty had laid a hand on you."

"We were going on a date today." I said in a low voice.

Aida looked stunned for a second, then smiled.

"I'm happy to hear that. I think you should lay low for a while though until your face looks normal again. People will get the wrong impression."

I lay my head between my hands "I ruined everything."

That's when Ty rose off the couch and out of his catatonic state. He put a hand on my shoulder.

"No, no, no Bay, don't ever say that. This is all my fault. Maybe it's for the best that I'm not around you or Diego. What if I hurt you again?"

I got-up and hugged him tightly.

"Ty, don't say things like that. You've been the best father."

He held me close and that's when we heard the police banging at the door.

Aida had been right. It was messy and ugly. After a lot of questions no one believed our version of the story. I was treated like an abused victim and Ty with disdain. They made us go to the hospital to examine Diego as I refused to have any exam whatsoever. I called Regina and Adriana and they met me at the hospital. After their initial shock, they at least believed us.

After five long hours Ty was served with a temporary restraining order against Diego. The Social Worker kept trying to convince me to press charges, but I refused. I was finally allowed to leave laden with pamphlets of hotlines for victims of domestic abuse.

Aida had managed to speak to Carter and his father promised to send someone to talk to Ty in the morning. I was holding an exhausted Diego in my arms.

"Adriana, Regina, can one of you keep him for the night? I need to stay with Ty."

"Are you sure, Bay?" Regina asked.

"Yes, he can't be alone now. He was in shock."

"Ok, I'll take him then. Call me if you need anything."

I nodded and made my way to the car. Once I was inside a wave of nausea hit me. I felt exhausted all of a sudden. This was supposed to have been such a happy day. Where had it all gone so wrong?

I decided to stop at the Mexican restaurant and get some food for us. Eating was the last thing on my mind, but we had to try and keep our strenght up to get through the next couple of days.

I arrived and knocked at the door and Ty opened it. I was shocked to see how bad he looked.

"I'm staying here tonight." I squeezed past him.

"Bay, I don't think…"

"Don't you dare say anything. I'm not going anywhere."

He blinked and nodded. I set the table and laid out the food.

"Eat" I motioned for him to sit.

"I can't" He said simply.

"Well neither can I, but we have to. Now sit down and eat. This was supposed to be our date night."

We somehow managed to force the food down.

"I can't believe I'm not allowed to see him." Ty rubbed his eyes. My heart went out to him.

"Your lawyer will be here tomorrow. I'm sure that we'll be able to figure something out. I'm so angry with Tank. I hope I never have to set my eyes on him again."

"He did what he thought was right. I would've probably done the same."

"He ruined our lives Ty. There is no excuse for what he did. I'll never forget how I was treated in that hospital just now. Never! He had no right."

**Ty:**

I knew there was no point arguing with Bay in the angry state she was in. I helped her clear the dishes and I washed them while she sat on the table. Her presence was oddly comforting. Once I was done and walked past her and she grabbed my hand.

"It's going to be ok, Ty."

I ran my thumb gently over the bruise on her cheek.

"Look at you Bay. I did this to you."

She smiled at me "Well, technically it was the corner of your desk that did this to me. You should really look at getting that child-proofed for Diego."

I managed a ghost of a smile. Trust Bay to find a way to deflect the situation.

Next thing I knew she had placed her hand behind my neck and pulled my head towards hers. She kissed me forcefully, then winced slightly. I pulled back in horror.

"Bay, we can't. Your mouth…"

"Just shut-up Ty."

She kissed me again and wrapped her legs around my waist. I felt her hands on the collar of my shirt and heard the popping sound of my buttons ripping as she forcefully spread the fabric. She then did the same with her shirt and I heard the sound of buttons popping off once again. Her hands roamed over my chest and she was already opening my belt. I pushed against her.

I lost it there and then. I groaned loudly and grabbed her right breast, pulling it out of her bra. I kneaded it and bent down to kiss it. Bay threw her head back and moaned. Once I came back up, she sank her teeth into my throat. I winced until I felt her hands in the inside of my boxers. She pulled my pants down and looked at me.

"I need you now."

I let out a guttural sound and helped her take off her jeans. Again I heard the ripping sound of fabric as I tore her panties off.

"Ty…I'm not taking…"

"It's ok, I've got it" I whispered into her ear as I reached behind me and opened the kitchen drawer. I reached for the condom. I grabbed her legs and she pushed against me.

**Bay:**

I needed him to make love to me so badly. When we finally joined it was primal and exhilarating and I had the most powerful release I'd ever experienced. I ran my fingernails along Ty's back and I heard him wince. I'm sure I'd drawn blood. Once he finished he stood very still and I grabbed his hair. I got off the table and collapsed on the floor. Ty pulled his pants back-up and lay down next to me.

"Bay, what the hell?" But he was smiling.

I smiled and laid my head on his shoulder.

"That was something else."

Ty stroked my back.

"It certainly was. And something that can never happen again. Do you realize that our son picks his Cheerios off that table?"

I laughed "Oops."

Then I let my hand drop lower again. Ty closed his eyes and groaned. He looked at me.

"I have a bed, you know?"

I moved to straddle him and kissed him.

"This is where it all started four years ago."

He smiled and lazily ran his hands over my thighs.

"It is, but unless we want to add carpet burn to your list of injuries, I suggest we move into the bedroom."

I sulked as he moved me off him.

He knelt and picked-up the few buttons he could find. "Guess I'll have to sew these back on one of these days."

"You can sew?" I asked astonished.

He laughed "There's no seamstresses in the barracks, Bay. Of course I can. Bedroom?"

I nodded and watched as he picked-up another condom from the drawer. I felt an odd pang. Somehow it hadn't occurred to me that Ty might have a sex life as I'd never seen him with anyone. But why wouldn't he. I decided to put those thoughts behind me as it didn't really matter now and I accepted the hand he offered to help me get-up.

Once we were in his bedroom I laid on the bed. He stretched out on top of me and kissed me. I could feel his hands roaming over my body and opening my shirt. He nuzzled my neck.

"How about you get undressed?" He asked.

I smiled and nodded and once we had both discarded our clothes I settled down next to him and laid my head on his shoulder. He stroked my hair.

"You know this is not how I expected our reunion to be like. I had planned on getting champagne, candles and rose petals for tonight. Not on having fully-clothed sex on my kitchen table."

I placed my arm around his waist. I sighed.

"I guess no one expected anything that happened today."

He nodded sadly "I guess not."

I looked up at him "Can we have a do-over for the champagne, candles and rose petals?"

He smiled at me and nodded and pulled me on top of him. His hands roamed over my body before he rested them on my bottom.

"You are so beautiful, Bay. I didn't realize how much I'd missed this."

I had tears in my eyes "I hadn't realized either. Will you make love to me again?"

He groaned and flipped me over. This time we took our sweet time getting back acquainted with each others bodies. After another intense session on love-making I rested my sweaty head on the pillow.

"Definitely Space Mountain" I muttered under my breath.

"What?" I heard Ty ask.

"Nothing, I'm just to tired to say sensible things right now." I closed my eyes.

"Then we better get to sleep." He wrapped his arms around me and I dozed off. At this precise moment I felt happy and fulfilled. I didn't want to think about the following day and the horrors ahead.

_**I hope you liked this chapter. I tried to keep it in the T range, however if it's too strong let me know and I can always tone it down a bit. Let me know if you liked it!**_


	20. A possible solution

**Ty:**

I woke-up feeling oddly refreshed. Only yesterday afternoon I thought I wouldn't be able to get one minute sleep after the events at lunchtime. I looked down at Bay snoring softly in my arms. I felt my heart constrict once again when I saw the bruise on her cheek and I kissed it gently. Her eyes fluttered open and she turned around to look at me and smiled.

"How you feeling? Does it hurt?" I asked her quietly.

"I'm feeling good." She ran her fingers over my neck and my back "You look a bit bruised yourself."

I smiled. "I'll live." I kissed her "Bay…last night was something else. I can't believe how much I missed being with you like that."

"It was pretty amazing, I agree. Ty…"

She seemed at a loss for words. "What?" I prodded her.

"Are we ok now? I mean with Diego's birth, with the lies about your cheating? I can only do this if all of that is off the table."

I thought about it for a minute.

"Yes…we are. I needed some time. It was easier for me to blame you and be angry than to admit that I was equally at fault. If I hadn't lied things would have been different."

Bay kissed me "I have forgotten about the lie, I needed time to think as well. But please promise me: No more lies from now on."

"I promise." As I moved to lie on top of her my phone rang. I frowned at the unknown number and picked up the phone. I couldn't believe it was past 9 in the morning.

"Private Tyler Mendoza?" I heard the officious sounding voice on the other end.

"Speaking." I felt breathless again.

"This is Sergeant Banks, I was sent by Colonel Carter to assist you with the situation."

"Thank you. Is there an update?"

"Not yet. I've been looking at the paperwork and I feel confident that the restraining order will be lifted before lunchtime. I'll be back in touch in about two hours. Please don't leave your house in case I need to drop by."

My spirits lifted at his words "Thank you Sergeant, thank you so much."

I put the phone down and related the conversation to Bay. She smiled and hugged me tightly. "I knew it would work out."

"Nothing's happened yet Bay, it's just what he thinks."

"I need to call Regina."

I listened as she told Regina about the recent events and Regina agreed to keep Diego for the day so that Bay and I could sort things out. I got out of bed.

"I'm going to go have a shower and get dressed. We need to be ready for when they call."

Bay nodded "Do you have coffee?"

I told her where it was and looked for a shirt for her. I picked one out, then thinking about what she'd done to the last two, I settled for a t-shirt. I handed it to her and headed for my bathroom.

**Bay:**

I slipped into the t-shirt and it reached almost to my knees. I smiled at the smell of Ty, which made me feel all fuzzy. What a night we'd had. I stretched to see if I was still in one piece. Everything seemed fine and I made my way into the kitchen where I found the coffee. I picked-up my jeans from the floor and found two additional buttons in the process.

Just as I was pouring the water I heard the doorbell. I tried to listen for Ty, but the shower was still running. I shrugged and opened the door. I found myself standing face to face with a leggy blonde holding two paper bags. She looked confused when she saw me.

"Who are you?" She asked angrily.

"I'm Bay. You are?"

"I'm Candy. Is Ty in?" She looked slightly disgusted at the sight of me.

"He's in the shower. Can I help you?"

"I came by to bring breakfast. Are you…"

"I'm his girlfriend and the mother of his son." I took the bags from her "Thanks. I'll tell him you dropped by. And…please don't come again." I shut the door in her face.

I leant against the door frame and noticed that I was shaking. I took a deep breath. Ty walked into the kitchen wearing only his jeans. He looked at my face worriedly.

"Who was that?" He asked "Bay, are you ok? You look like you've seen a ghost."

I threw the bags onto the table. I turned to him angrily.

"I've just had to deal with your sugar problem."

Ty looked confused "I don't have a sugar…" Then he smacked his forehead "Listen, Bay…"

"No Ty, I don't want to listen. This would've been our date night. How on earth could you have invited bloody Candy around for breakfast?"

"Bay, Bay, Bay, hold on. I didn't invite anyone for breakfast. I had no idea she was coming round…"

I was fuming "What is it with you and long legs, Ty? Why do you even like me?"

I saw him walk towards me and he hugged me. I stood there stiffly.

"Bay, she doesn't mean anything to me, ok? I just went out with her twice. It was nothing. She won't come again. And I love your legs."

I sat down on the chair.

"How many more Candys are out there? Did they meet Diego?"

He sat down next to me and took my hand.

"No, no one has met Diego. Bay, I want to be with you! Forget about Candy."

I took another deep breath. I was being childish.

"I'm sorry Ty. It's just that after yesterday and last night…It threw me off my game. I never thought about you dating."

"Hey, hey, who said anything about dating? I'm not dating anyone. I had a couple of drinks with her and then…it doesn't matter."

I managed a small smile.

"When I saw the condoms last night, I…"

Ty squeezed my hand.

"The Army gives those out to everyone, remember?" He winked at me.

I smiled at the memory of our first kiss the day my father had a heart attack. I suddenly felt hungry.

"I'm grumpy. I didn't have my coffee yet. And hungry. We might as well eat whatever Candy brought." I said the name with distaste.

Ty laughed "As you wish. I'll fix your coffee."

I ate a muffin and had my coffee and felt much better.

"Can I have a shower?" I asked Ty.

"Sure, help yourself to whatever you want."

The phone rang again and startled us. Ty took the call and I saw his face light up. I listened to the conversation, which sounded very non-committal and waited for him to finish. He smiled at me.

"They lifted the restraining order. There's some talk about me going to the Army psychologist and Social Services coming for un-announced visits, but I can see him."

I hugged him tightly.

"Oh Ty, that is wonderful. I knew it!"

"The lawyer is coming over here with Social Services now, so if you want to shower."

"I will. Let me call Regina."

"Yes, I'll call Aida."

I had a shower and brushed my hair. My face looked dreadful and I looked in my bad and found some foundation. It didn't make it perfect, but definitely better. I also applied some mascara and lipstick and slipped Ty's t-shirt into my jeans. I could face the gang now.

**Ty**:

My palms were sweating as I thought about the visit ahead. I cleaned up the living-room and washed the dishes. Bloody Candy, as well. What was she thinking, just turning up unannounced like that. I thought about Bay's jealous stint and felt bad about it, but not that bad. It wasn't as if we'd been dating when I went out with other women, and they hadn't really meant anything to me. My phone beeped and I saw a message from said Candy.

**You're an asshole.**

I frowned and typed a quick reply.

**Sorry, please don't come here again**

Glad I'd gotten that out of the way, I turned around and saw Bay. I smiled at her.

"You look great." I kissed her softly.

"Thanks. I did the best I could with limited materials. Are we ready for this?"

I nodded. I watched a car stop in front of my house and stepped on something soft. I looked down and saw Bay's panties on the floor. I quickly shoved them under the counter. Bay blushed.

"Bay, are you…"

"Yep, no underwear. I didn't carry and extra pair."

I groaned loudly "Great, with my lawyer and Social Services at the door."

I opened the door and shook hands with Sergeant Banks. I recognized the same woman from yesterday and she stepped in without even glancing at me. She seemed surprised to see Bay.

"Ms. Kennish, I wasn't expecting to see you here." She sounded angry.

Bay walked over to me and took my hand.

"Yes, I spent the night here."

"Where's your son?" The woman asked.

"He's with his grandmother since he wasn't allowed to be here." Bay was starting to sound angry and I gave her hand a warning squeeze. Right now we didn't need the wrath of Bay descending on everyone. She took a deep breath and got the message.

For the next hour we were interrogated again and I had to take my hat off to Bay and her way of explaining the situation as it had happened. She remained factual and emotionless.

Finally there seemed to be an end to the questioning and I agreed to see the Army doctor and to unannounced visits during the coming 6 months.

Bay walked the woman from Social Services to the door. I watched as she turned towards her.

"Ms. Kennish, It's because of women like you that we'll never be able to put an end to domestic violence."

I saw Bay opening her eyes wide and felt faint.

"Ms. Cortez, maybe it's because of women like you that families get separated, because you cannot distinguish the actual truth from whatever you have conjured in your head. Not everything is black and white."

I saw the Social Worker take a deep breath.

"I'll be seeing you Ms. Kennish."

I turned to my lawyer.

"I'm sorry about all of this. I feel awful about it."

He patted me on the shoulder.

"I do believe that this was an accident Private. However, you'll need to make sure that it won't happen again."

I nodded "I'll schedule an appointment tomorrow."

The lawyer left as well and we were on our own again.

"I'm ready to kill that bloody woman." Bay was fuming.

"Leave it Bay, she's just doing her job. Her work can't be easy."

Bay walked up to me and hugged me.

"It got sorted. We can go and collect Diego now."

I smiled at her "We can. In a little while."

I saw her eyes open in surprise as I placed my hand inside her jeans running it over her bottom.

"Sitting there with no underwear on. I could hardly focus. Talk about butterflies!"

Bay laughed as I lifted her and she wrapped her legs around my waist.

"In cases like this it's pigeons."

I groaned and walked towards the bedroom. She pulled my hair.

"Soldier, I told you I wanted to be wooed. What happened to that?"

I laid her on the bed and pressed into her.

"I believe I wooed you twice last night. And now I'm going to woe you again."

Bay moaned "Ok" She said breathlessly and pulled my head towards hers.

_**Hope you liked this chapter. It is a bit difficult for me to write as I don't really know the law here, so please bear with me. I want your suggestions as to what should happen next as I need some inspiration. Please review. **_

"


	21. There's more to it than just sex

**Bay**:

I dug my hands into Ty's hair as he kissed me. I felt elation at the events that had unfolded and that soon we'd be able to hold our little boy in our arms again. We'd only seen him yesterday, yet it seemed like ages ago.

"What are you thinking about?" Ty asked me.

I smiled at him.

"That I'm so glad all is sorted and that we'll be with Diego soon."

I could feel Ty's hand sneaking under my t-shirt and I shuddered.

"I was thinking exactly the same."

I lifted my hips and he pressed into me.

"How about we don't think about anything but this for a little while?" I panted.

He nuzzled my neck "I think that's an excellent idea. We're wearing far too many clothes."

"Agreed" I said under my breath as I assisted him with pulling my t-shirt and my jeans off.

He discarded his clothes as well and kissed his way down my body. I moaned and grabbed the headboard.

One hour later I rested my head on the pillow.

"Ty, you're going to be the death of me." I said breathlessly.

He ran his hand over the length of my body.

"I'm trying to get my fill of you before we collect our child. After that we'll have to be respectable parents again."

I looked at him and sighed.

"How's this going to work? What will we do?"

"I'm not sure. Do you want to move in here? I have that large closet that could be converted into a nursery for Diego, but it's going to be tight."

"I think it's best if I stay at the college apartment for the next two months. My father has paid for it already and it will complicate things. Let's take it slow and see how we get on."

Ty sighed "I don't want to take it slow. I want for us to be a family."

I smiled at him "So do I, but let's do this properly. Do you think we could rent a slightly bigger place? There's no point me staying here if you're working nights. You won't get any sleep with us two around."

Ty thought about that for a while.

"The night shift is a problem. If I can get this place rented out again it would help with paying the rent in a bigger place. Money is tight though. I need that night differential."

I started getting out of bed "We'll figure it out. Let's talk to Regina to see if she has any ideas. In the mean time we stay put. You can always spend the night at my apartment when you're off. I do have a second room." I ran my hand over his thigh.

"If you manage to keep it down." He winked at me.

I kissed him and he groaned. He cupped my breasts. I pulled back.

"That is…after you take me on that date you promised."

Ty pulled me back on top of him.

"Tomorrow?" He kissed me hungrily.

I laughed "Next week. I want to look perfect."

I could see a shadow creeping across his face as he ran his fingers across my cheek.

"I'm so sorry. This will never happen again. I'll go and see the doctor as soon as possible."

I took his hand "I know. Let's get dressed and get Diego."

It was past lunch time when we walked over to Adriana's house. Ty greeted Regina and stormed past her to take Diego into his arms. Diego squealed as Ty threw him in the air.

Regina looked at me. "Rough night?" She asked.

I ran my hand over my face "It's not hurting that much anymore."

"I'm not talking about that, Bay."

I blushed a million colors of red. I looked at Ty, who wouldn't let go of Diego.

"I want this to work out Regina."

"I hope it does Bay. I really do."

**Ty**:

It felt so good to be with Diego again. I held him tight and thought at how close I'd been to loosing him. I shuddered at the thought. Regina, Adriana and Bay sat on the couch and I settled on the floor with our son.

Bay told them our plans and Regina agreed to speak to Wes in order to find out if there was availability in their complex scheduled to open in the next three months.

She also explained about the revamp of East Riverside and that I'd probably be able to sell my house at a higher price if I held on to it for a year or two and rented it out.

Bay excused herself to go to the bathroom and Regina looked at me sharply.

"Ty, what happened yesterday…It can never happen again."

I looked at her sadly.

"I know Regina, believe me, there is no one who feels more horrified than I do. I still can't believe it. I'm going to see the doctor next week."

Regina nodded. "You're a good guy Ty. But for a moment there, I thought…"

She stopped talking. I took a deep breath.

"That I'd turned into him, right?"

She nodded. I took her hand.

"Regina, I'd never, ever consciously hurt a woman. What happened nearly killed me."

Regina smiled "I believe you. Now you'll have to work on the unconscious part."

"I'll do that. Even if it means never going to sleep again."

Bay walked in at that moment and looked at us suspiciously.

"What's going on in here?" She asked.

I smiled at her "Nothing, Regina and I were just talking."

"Well, I was thinking about taking Diego back. You want to come with me?"

I nodded and scooped up Diego. We said our goodbyes and thank yous and I followed Bay to the college.

Diego had fallen asleep in the car on the way and I carried him into Bay's apartment and carefully laid him in his bed. I gently ran a hand through his hair. He didn't even stir. I hadn't even noticed how hungry I was. I turned off the light and walked into the kitchen. I gasped when I opened Bay's fridge.

"Bay, what do you live on?"

Bay walked into the kitchen puzzled. Then she saw the fridge and shrugged.

"I'm not a good cook."

"You don't say…" I said sarcastically "What does Diego eat?"

"He's still eating baby food Ty. You know that. It comes all ready in those little containers."

"I cook for him. I don't feed him that junk."

Bay turned towards me angrily.

"Well I don't cook for him. And he looks fine to me. Most of the toddlers in this country eat that baby food and they live."

I got angry as well.

"I'll drop the food off for him, then."

Bay's eyes were blazing now.

"You know what? You won't! We were doing fine as we were. I don't need you to point out my failings or to make me feel like I'm not taking care of him properly."

I took a deep breath and walked towards her.

"That's not what I mean, Bay." I said apologetically. "I just want what's best for him."

She pushed me back.

"And I don't? You know what? Just leave."

"Bay…"

"No, I'm serious. Leave."

I sighed and picked-up my keys.

"I'll call you later."

Bay opened the door. "Don't bother. I'll drop him off tomorrow at the usual time."

I had really been looking forward to spending the afternoon and evening with Diego and Bay, but I knew that it was pointless to argue with a furious Bay. I could have slapped myself at how insensitive I'd been. I knew that cooking was not one of her strengths and I didn't want to imply in any way that she was a bad mother. But the damage had been done.

"I'm sorry Bay. I didn't mean it…"

"Bye!" She'd already slammed the door in my face.

**Bay:**

I was so angry that I felt tears stinging in my eyes. How could he? How could he walk in here and make me feel inadequate in a space of 5 minutes? My phone rang. It was Daphne on Facetime. I picked-up the phone and saw Daphne's horrified face.

"Regina told me what happened. How are you doing?"

"I was doing really well. Now not so much." I signed.

"Shall I come over?" Daphne asked.

"Yes, please. I'll order pizza."

I called Pizza Express and ordered a meat feast for me and a vegetarian pizza for Daphne. I was relieved that she was coming; I really needed to talk to someone. Maybe it had all been a mistake. I was used to being by myself, I actually liked it. And to now have someone telling what to do was not making me happy.

I heard Diego crying and went to fetch him. I changed him and when I was done the pizza and Daphne had arrived.

Daphne picked-up Diego while I paid for the pizza and we settled on the floor around my little side table.

"You want to talk about it?" Daphne asked.

"I'm so angry Daphne. How could he take it upon himself to tell me I don't feed Diego properly? Everyone eats out of those jars. Just because he's Mr. Perfect and cooks for him…"

Daphne looked at me confused.

"Bay, what are you talking about?"

I looked at her puzzled "My fight with Ty. What are you talking about?"

I saw her look at my face. I touched my cheek.

"Oh, this. It seems like this happened ages ago."

I took m time telling Daphne everything about the incident, our night and what happened when Ty walked into my kitchen. When I was finished Daphne shook her head and smiled. I looked at her in astonishment.

"You think this is funny?"

Daphne lifted her hands in defense.

"No, Bay I don't. I was just thinking that you barely got together again and you're already stumbling on the eternal problem with you two."

"Which is?" I asked intrigued now.

"That you two don't know how to communicate. From the first time you've gotten together until now all your problems have been because you don't communicate with each other."

I didn't say anything.

"Four years ago you guys fought about money and Ty's deployment. Then you spent weeks mystified because he wouldn't tell you about what happened in Kabul. Then the episode with Emmett and your broken foot followed by the fake cheating. You guys need to learn how to talk to each other."

"So what should I do? Do you think he was right?"

Daphne took a deep breath.

"He wanted to help and offered to cook. He said it the wrong way and you got angry."

"Like he does all the time."

"If you guys can move past that, you'll be fine. But with the tempers you two have, I can see a lot of fights looming."

"So should I just break-up with him again and go on as I was?"

Daphne smiled.

"That's for you to decide. I think you should give it another shot."

She got up.

"I need to leave. I'm volunteering in the clinic this evening. Call him."

"I'm not calling him."

"Very well, you probably don't need to as you'll see him again tomorrow."

I sighed "This is so difficult."

I walked Daphne to the door. She kissed me on the cheek.

"At least your sex life seems fine."

I put a hand on my stomach and smiled.

"Oh yes. No problem there!"

_**Thank you for all your reviews. Had to show this is not all roses. Not with those hot tempers. Kiss and make-up? Let me know.**_


	22. Mac & Cheese with vegetables sucks

**Bay:**

It had been good to see Daphne again. I always felt better after talking to her. For someone who switched from boyfriend to boyfriend with an alarming regularity, she did actually give good advice about men. I looked at the watch and was surprised to see that it was just before 5. It felt like much later. Must be because I was exhausted from the late night with Ty. I was contemplating what to do next when my phone signaled that I had a message. It beeped four more times. Bloody hell, whoever it was must really want to get in touch with me.

I walked over to the kitchen to get it and saw that by now I had 7 messages from Ty. I frowned and opened the first one.

It was a photo of Ty eating from a jar of baby food. I opened my eyes in astonishment and read the caption.

**Peach flavor is ok**

I scrolled to the next photo.

**Sweet potatoes not my favorite**

I scrolled to the next one

**Apple Strawberry and Banana is the best so far**

I was smiling now. Next one. Ty looked disgusted.

**Never, ever feed him Mac &Cheese with Vegetables, that one is vile**

I laughed as Diego hated it as well.

**Lasagna with Meatballs is passable**

I looked at the last picture. It was Ty holding a bouquet of flowers.

**I'm sorry**

I typed a quick reply.

**Do you want to come over and help me bathe Diego?**

I didn't have to wait more than 10 seconds.

**On way!**

I smiled and picked-up Diego. I decided to feed him before Ty got here just as to avoid any more complications. I chose Lasagna with Vegetables. Diego ate it cheerfully and I gave him a banana as a dessert.

Just as he was finished Ty was at the door. I opened it and looked at him with my head crocked sideways. He handed me the flowers.

"I'm sorry."

I managed a small smile.

"It's ok."

He stepped into the room and over to Diego, who extended his arms. Ty picked him up. He looked at me.

"I tend to overreact a bit when it comes to food. I'm sorry. I didn't used to be like that. And you're the best mother ever."

I kissed him on the cheek.

"It'd be nice if you could bring food for him. I know that cooking is not for me."

He looked relieved.

"Really? I'll do that then. What did you eat? There's nothing in that fridge."

"I had pizza with Daphne."

"Do you want me to cook for you as well? I'm quite good in the kitchen."

I looked at him astonished.

"Since when?"

He just shrugged. "Since always. I've had to learn how to take care of myself from a young age."

I nodded. "What would you cook for me, then?"

He looked at me thoughtfully "Let's see: egg white omelet with turkey or steamed vegetables or maybe quinoa with beans."

I made a retching motion and he smiled.

"I'm joking. That's what I cook for myself. You tell me what you like and I'll try my best."

I thought about that for a moment.

"Maybe it wouldn't hurt me to eat something healthy for once."

He placed his arm around my waist.

"As I said, let me know." He looked me in the eyes "Are we ok?"

I leant into him.

"Yes. I think so."

He looked relieved. I crinkled my nose.

"I think I'll run the bath. You can get rid of that dirty diaper."

Ty rolled his eyes and walked away.

After we had given Diego his bath, I went to check my e-mails while Ty played with him for a bit. I couldn't believe that someone with such a short fuse could actually be so patient around a toddler. Maybe he didn't have a short fuse after all; it was probably both our fuses that created a short circuit once in a while. I shook my head at the weird thoughts I was having.

**Ty:**

I looked at my watch and saw that it was almost eight. I looked at Diego.

"Bedtime little man."

He shook his head and handed me the wooden block again. I took it away from him and he started crying.

"We'll play more tomorrow. Now it's sleep time."

I picked him up and took him to his room. It took another half hour and three stories until he finally went to sleep.

I found Bay leafing through a magazine on the couch.

"He's asleep."

She looked up.

"Thanks."

I looked around unsure of myself.

"I guess I should head off."

Bay thought for a minute.

"Do you want to stay? You're off today, aren't you?"

"Yes, I don't go back to work until tomorrow night. That would be nice."

I moved over to the couch and lay on top of her. I kissed her.

"Ty…I don't think I…" Bay blushed "I'm really tired."

I nuzzled her neck and raised my eyebrows.

"Are you saying you'll be rejecting my advances?"

Bay went even redder.

"No, it's just that…" She stuttered.

I laughed.

"Oh Bay, don't be silly. I'm joking. I'm on my last legs as well. Being the death of you is hard work you know?"

Bay looked relieved and smiled at me.

"You want to watch a movie in bed?"

"I'd love that."

We settled in her bed and I let Bay chose a movie. When I looked at her 10 minutes later she was asleep. I turned off the TV. I hadn't wanted to mention the call I'd gotten from Tank earlier as I was afraid it would set her off again. I would do tomorrow morning. The guy was a hot mess and Aida must have laid into him good style as he had apologized a million times. I really considered him a good friend and I would've probably done the same if I had walked in on him and Bay in a similar situation.

Now with Aida in there as well, I was really hoping that Bay would find a way to forgive him. I would talk to her at breakfast and hoped that she wouldn't throw me out again.

**Bay**:

I slept well and was woken up by the now familiar motion of bedcovers lifting and something crawling under them. For the past four days Diego had acquired the annoying habit of climbing out of his cot and make his way to my bed every morning. I would urgently need to do something about that, as he was likely to injure himself one of these days.

I opened my eyes as I felt his hand on my cheek. I smiled at him and put my finger on my lips.

"Shhhhh! You are a naughty boy. Don't wake your dad up."

Diego turned to look at Ty who was sleeping with his back turned to me and he looked momentarily confused. Then he smiled. My heart melted.

"Da" He said pointing at Ty.

Ty was awake by now and turned around. He looked a bit puzzled at finding Diego in the middle of the bed.

"How did he get here?" He asked sleepily.

"He climbed out of his cot." I smiled sheepishly.

"He did WHAT?" Ty was instantly awake.

"He climbed out of his cot. It's the second time he does it. Don't look at me like that. He doesn't get his athletic abilities from me!"

"We'll need to do something about that. Can his cot be converted into a regular bed?'

I nodded "Yes, it's one of those 3 in one."

"I'll look at it today then and will remove the bars. He can get seriously hurt."

"Ok, I think the instructions are in the kitchen drawer."

Ty smiled as Diego crawled onto his chest. He looked at Ty with his big brown eyes. Ty ran a hand through his hair.

"You are a bad boy, Diego Mendoza. Climbing out of your cot at one years old. What will you be like at 6?"

Diego smiled and looked at me "Ma…Da."

I smiled.

"I think he's happy that you're here."

Ty leaned over and kissed me.

"I'm happy to be here as well."

"Do you mind to stay with him for the morning, while I go to therapy? I only have it once a week now and I can concentrate better if he's not there. Especially now that he's walking."

"Sure, I'll keep him for the day. Breakfast?"

"Yes…if you can find something."

Ty rolled his eyes and got out of bed with Diego in his arms.

I showered and got dressed while Ty took care of Diego.

"I could definitely get used to this." I thought to myself.

I walked into the kitchen and sat at the table where my coffee was already waiting for me. Ty sat down next to me. He took my hand.

"Bay, I wanted to tell you something yesterday, but was afraid of your reaction."

I stiffened "What?" I asked.

I watched as Ty took a deep breath "Tank called me yesterday."

I felt a wave of anger engulf me as I watched Ty's impassive face.

"He called you? How could he? After what he's done!"

"Bay, he feels terrible. Aida talked to him. He apologized a million times."

"Not two million apologies could make up for it as far as I'm concerned."

Ty sighed "Just put yourself in his shoes. He walked in on that…situation. You'd have done the same."

"No Ty, maybe I would have listened to my FRIENDS." I said sarcastically.

"He's my friend Bay. One of the few I have. And he might be dating Aida, who's also my friend. I just want to give him a second chance, that's all."

I was still angry "Have you told your FRIEND about us?"

Ty closed his eyes for a second.

"No…I haven't. Have you?"

"No, but only because I don't socialize with him that much. Otherwise I would have."

Ty nodded. I sighed and thought about my conversation with Daphne.

"Listen, I don't want another fight. I'm glad you told me. I don't feel ready to forgive him, maybe I will one day. In the meantime hang-out with him. I'm not here to tell you who and who not to see….unless it's Candy…you're not allowed to see her."

Ty looked puzzled and relieved.

"Wow. Thank you Bay. I was scared you'd kick me out again." He squeezed my hand "And please don't fret about Candy. You don't have to worry about that stuff…ever, you hear me?"

I smiled at him "Ok. Daphne told me yesterday that we have to work on our communication skills. I guess I'm working on them."

Ty smiled at me "Then I will as well. I think she might be right, you know?"

_**Thank you for helping me along and telling me you wanted more family moments. Let me know what you think of this chapter. Looking forward to your reviews.**_


	23. Selling the giraffe

**Sorry for the long wait. I was busy at work and traveling for most of last week and I didn't get the update done on Friday. I was writing this chapter in bits and pieces whenever I got some spare time so I hope it makes sense. I'm doing a time jump here and Diego is three now. **

**Bay and Ty's apartment, June 2018**

**Bay:**

I ran into our small apartment, smiled at the babysitter and picked-up Diego. I twirled him around. He looked surprised and laughed.

"Mommy is happy." He said matter of factly.

I kissed him on the cheek.

"Mommy is very happy. Mommy just sold three paintings!"

Diego looked worried.

"Not giraffe."

"Yes, the giraffe as well. But I'll paint one for you tomorrow. A nicer giraffe, ok?"

I could see tears in Diego's eyes.

"A blue giraffe. You didn't like the pink one so much."

Diego smiled again

"Pink and blue ."

I rolled my eyes at the negotiation skills of my three year old.

"Ok then, pink and blue giraffe. Not today. Today we're going out for diner."

I had a happy boy now "Pizza".

I shook my head. "Not pizza, today we're going somewhere nice so you have to behave."

I looked at my watch and saw that I still had two hours before Ty got home. I decided to have a shower and wear something nice. It didn't really qualify as a date night as I was taking Diego along, but it was definitely an occasion to celebrate. I quickly texted Ty.

**Sold 3 paintings. Am buying diner for the three of us tonight.**

Ty replied straight away.

**Congratulations. I will be home at usual time. Not the giraffe.**

I rolled my eyes. What was it with my men and the giraffes.

**Yes. Giraffe is gone as well. Will paint a new one for you and Diego tomorrow.**

I just laughed at the sad face icon Ty sent.

I asked the babysitter to stay another half hour while I got ready. This was a major breakthrough for me. Over the past two years I had sold the odd painting here and there, but to have three sold the same day was something else. Plus the buyer wanted to talk to me about commissioning some more for a new child care facility he was opening.

I was graduating in one month and couldn't wait to start my professional life as an art teacher and an artist. The past two years had been tough but worth it. Money had always been tight and somehow we managed to get by although sometimes I didn't know how we did it.

Ty and I had gotten married just before Diego turned two and I had finally made amends with my father at that time and although he didn't see Diego much ever since he had moved to California, he still managed to spend some quality time with him whenever he was in town. Eight months after our wedding I received the devastating news that my father and his girlfriend had died in a motorcycle accident. I went through a very bad period then, mostly blaming everyone and everything for his passing, so soon after we had grown close again.

We went through a brief period of having no financial worries, as my father had left the car wash business to Toby and me and Ty had quit the Army at that time to dedicate himself fully to running the car wash in Toby's absence. The money it generated had been enough to keep us comfortably afloat until six months later, when Toby decided that he was going to stay with Nikki in Peru for good and wanted to sell his half.

We spent the good part of two weeks visiting various banks and finally obtained the financing to buy Toby out. Just like that and from one day to the next we were poor again. I put those thoughts behind me as today I had finally sold some paintings and was able to afford to take my men out for diner, something that was usually reserved only for birthdays and anniversaries.

I heard the door slam shut and stepped out of our bedroom. Ty was standing in the lounge with Diego on his lap having a serious conversation.

"Mommy sold giraffe and we cannot have pizza." Diego was telling Ty with a sad expression.

Ty ran a hand through his hair.

"I know buddy, but mommy will paint a new giraffe just for us and tonight we'll make sure you have something nice to eat besides pizza."

I walked up to them and kissed Ty on the cheek. He smiled at me.

"Here's my artist and you look so pretty too."

I wrinkled my nose.

"Thank you. Maybe you want to change before we go out? You smell of de-icing fluid."

Ty got up and stretched.

"I've had such a busy day. Travis is out with the flu and this bottle of Ice-Off just exploded on me. That's why I smell the way I do. Give me 10 minutes and we go. I'm buying."

I frowned as I watched him disappear into the bedroom with Diego trailing behind him. Shortly after I heard the shower.

What was it with Ty and not letting me buy diner? Every time I tried he wouldn't hear of it. I got annoyed when I thought back to our biggest fight to date. I had happened shortly after we moved in together when I had started my second year in college.

Ty had left for work that day and when I was about to change Diego to get him ready for bed, I noticed that we had no diapers left. With a sigh I had picked up the car keys and Diego and had driven to the nearest CVS.

I picked-up the diapers and two or three other things I needed and when I handed the cashier my card it was declined. The same happened with the other two I had on me. I looked for cash in my wallet and not finding any, I asked the cashier to hold the items for 10 minutes while I went to Adriana's house across the street. I borrowed 20 dollars of her and returned to pay for my purchases.

The next day at lunch time I asked Ty for the money so that I could pay Adriana back. When I saw his face it reminded me of the day he had barged into the hospital room when Diego was born.

"You did what?" He asked me between gritted teeth.

"All our cards were declined and I didn't have any cash. So I walked over to Adriana and borrowed some." I couldn't understand the source of his anger.

"Why did you do that Bay? Why didn't you call me?"

"Because you were at the base working and it would have taken me ages to get over there. Adriana lives just across the road."

Ty had taken a deep breath and I could tell from his body language that he was trying very hard to get himself under control.

"Bay, you don't go around East Riverside asking people for money. What will they think? That I can't provide for you and Diego?"

"Ty…seriously? Adriana is not "people" she's my grandmother. I really don't know what's gotten into you."

Ty was really furious now.

"What's gotten into me is that we live with what we have, Bay! We don't go around asking for money."

I got angry now as well.

"Well then Ty, why is it that we don't have enough to live on? Why is it that I can't go to a store and buy DIAPERS for our son? It's hardly as if I'd gone to Tiffany's, is it?"

Ty blinked a couple of times.

"I've had more expenses then I thought this month. The car insurance had to be paid and there was a broken pipe over at the rented house that I had to have fixed."

I was furious now.

"And how come I don't know about these things? Why is it I, I, I? I thought we lived together and shared these things with one another. Do you know how embarrassing it was for me to stand on that line at the cash register and have all my cards declined?"

Ty stood up and placed his hands on his hips. He looked at me angrily.

"Maybe it's because I earn the money so that you don't have to! Have you looked around this neighborhood Bay? Most of the families that live here have two incomes, we have one. And if there's one thing I don't like is that I'm seen as not being able to support the two of you."

I had just looked at him dumbfounded as I felt tears running down my face. I had sobbed loudly.

"That was the most nasty, low-ball thing I've ever heard."

I had shut myself in the bedroom until Ty had left and then had packed a small bag of clothes and had left to stay with Regina. I had been heartbroken and angry and hardly listened to Regina trying to explain the East Riverside mentality. Finally she had managed to get through to me and she had been very good in not taking any sides.

Ty had come after two days and had apologized and I had agreed to go back home. Once we were in bed that night he had held me close to him.

"I'm sorry Bay. I shouldn't have said what I said. It was unfair and nasty."

"It's ok Ty. I think we both learned a lesson."

He had stroked my back.

"Bay, please promise me that you'll call me when something like that happens in the future."

I smiled at him.

"I promise. I'll also try and look for a part-time job to help with the expenses."

He looked at me with a serious expression.

"No Bay, that's not what I want. You're busy enough with college and Diego. It was a tough month. We'll manage."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I'm sorry about this. This is not the life you would have imagined having after being brought up the way you were."

I had thought about those words for a minute, then I had hugged him.

"You know what Ty? I think that this is exactly what my live should have been like. And I wouldn't trade it for anything."

Later that week he had proposed.

Ty:

"Helooooo, anybody home?" I waved my hand in front of Bay, who was gazing into space.

She blinked her eyes twice.

"Ty! I was miles away."

"I can see that. Are you ready to go?"

"Yes!"

We made our way to our favorite Mexican and ordered our food. Diego looked at his tacos and wrinkled his nose.

"Pizza!" He proclaimed loudly.

"No pizza today, little man. Now eat what's on your plate." Ty chastised him gently.

He suspiciously tasted them and decided he liked them after all. Later we bought him an ice-cream as a special treat.

"We have to go out for diner more often. It's not right that all he knows is going out for pizza." I said.

Bay laughed.

"I agree. I can't believe we're the owners of a thriving business, yet we're living so frugally."

I sighed and took her hand.

"One more year babes, then we'll break even. The sky will be the limit then."

Bay laughed.

"And I will be painting many more giraffes so that we can go out for diner more and introduce our son to more culinary delights."

Bay clasped my hand tight.

"I want another baby." She said seriously.

My knife dropped out of my hand and crashed on top of the plate. People turned their heads to look in our direction.

"WHAT? Another baby? Now?"

Bay shrugged.

"Yes. Sooner rather than later. But before he turns five."

Diego was clapping his hands.

"I want a baby. Diego wants a brother." He proclaimed.

People were actually laughing now.

I ran my hand through my hair. We were both so young, but maybe Bay was right. If we wanted for Diego to have siblings then it should be soon, otherwise the age gap would be too big.

"I guess we should start thinking about it."

Bay's eyes were gleaming.

"I'll go off the pill tonight. Maybe we can start practicing today?" She winked at me.

I laughed.

"That would be a special treat to end a special day. What are the odds that our son actually sleeps in his bed?"

Our sex life was next to non-existent since we had allowed Diego to take over the middle of our bed. It had been our fault as we had been so happy to be a little family when we first got back together, that we really didn't want to spend any time apart. Since I had been working nights and Bay had spent most of her nights by herself with Diego, we had let it slide and by the time I was back working days, we had a huge problem in our hands.

I saw Bay look at Diego, who was yawning now that he had finished his ice cream. She smiled and whispered.

"Tonight we'll trick him, then we'll slowly get him used to his bed."

"Works for me!" I winked at her seductively, then signaled for the waiter "Check please." I smiled at Bay "And fast" I muttered under my breath. Bay laughed.

Once we were back home I carried our sleeping son into his room and laid him on his bed. He stirred and Bay lay down next to him to make sure that he was asleep. I went into the kitchen to find some candles and lit them in our bedroom.

I took off my shirt and my pants and stretched out on the bed waiting for Bay. She came 20 minutes later and looked around the room.

"He's asleep. This looks nice."

I groaned "Bay, get your cute bottom in this bed right now."

She was pulling off her dress "Is it normal to feel like we're sneaking around like teenagers?"

"No, it's not. But it's the reality!"

Bay got naked and lay down next to me. As I moved over to kiss her, she opened the nightstand drawer and took out the little folder with her pill. She found some scissors and cut through it.

"Are you sure about that?" I asked her.

"Very. Are you?"

"Yes." I pulled her on top of me and let my hands roam over her body.

"You're so beautiful Bay Mendoza."

I groaned loudly as I felt her kiss her way down my chest. Just before she reached her target she got up from the bed. I held her hand in protest.

"Where do you think you're going?" I asked her.

She pulled away.

"Patience, dear husband! I'm going to lock the door, there's certain things that our son does NOT need to see."

I nodded impatiently and smiled when she hovered over me once more. A little while later I pulled her up and turned her around in order to return the favor. I heard her gasp as she burrowed her hands in my hair.

"Oh Ty, I missed this so much."

I looked up at her and smiled.

"So did I babes, so did I!"

**I hope you liked this chapter. Please review. There's also a hot new story by a new author called Bay's First Time on the Switched at Birth Fanfiction page. Check it out. I loved it.**


	24. Marital bliss

**Bay and Ty's apartment that same night**

**Bay**:

It felt so good being intimate with Ty again. I could hardly remember the last time we'd made love. I thought back to the beginning of our relationship four years ago and how we'd hardly managed to keep our hands of one another. How I came up with excuse after excuse to get away from the watchful eyes of my parents just to be able to sneak into the barracks. Now I was married and didn't need to sneak around and yet having a child changed everything.

"Mrs. Mendoza, are you still with me?"

I smiled when I saw Ty's puzzled face hovering on top of mine.

"I'm very much with you Mr. Mendoza."

Ty attacked my breasts with his mouth.

"You must be thinking of your other lovers then." He murmured as he gently bit me.

I shrieked "I was certainly not! Just thinking that we don't do this enough. I can't even remember the last time we did."

Ty rested his weight on his elbows and looked at me. He frowned in concentration.

"Neither can I. How awful is that!? We have to change that immediately!"

I pulled his head down towards mine and kissed him forcefully. "Agreed."

I put everything else behind me and concentrated on Ty for the next hour. He was certainly doing his utmost to satisfy me in every way possible.

"Wow, Ty, I'm telling you, if I hadn't just gone off the pill, I could swear that you would have gotten me pregnant tonight. That was something else."

I rested my head on his chest. He laughed.

"Well…considering that last time I got you pregnant using a condom, one never knows. Any chance you skipped one lately?" He winked at me.

I shook my head "No, I take them religiously." I winked at him "Just in case my other lovers get me pregnant."

Ty slapped me playfully before kissing my belly "No one but me is allowed to get you pregnant. The thought of having another baby with you right now hadn't really crossed my mind. But the more I think of it, the more I love the idea. I'd love a little girl or another little boy. Just as long as she doesn't inherit your hair. That would mean we'd have to get up half an hour earlier."

I ran my hand across his chest.

"I never thought I'd have a child at my age, let alone two. Then I think about Toby and how important he was to me while I was growing up. I want for Diego to get the chance to be an older brother. It'll be good for him."

Ty was silent for a minute.

"I guess you're right. I never had any siblings so it didn't cross my mind. But you're right, the age gap shouldn't be too big. He'll be going to kindergarten in three months, so I guess it's the perfect timing."

I ran my hand over my stomach.

"I'm really not looking forward to a pregnancy again. I've got such bad memories of my last one."

Ty eyes clouded over. He grasped my hand.

"Bay…it won't be the same. I'll be here to support you every little step of the way. I promise you I'll be the best husband ever. To make up for the time I missed."

I smiled at him "I love you."

**Ty**:

Before I could reply we heard the door handle being lowered followed by angry crying when it did not open. I looked at Bay and she rolled her eyes. I handed Bay her nightgown and pulled on my boxers before unlocking and opening the door.

An angry, crying Diego ran into the room "I no like that bed…'tis is my bed." He climbed into our bed on my side. No sooner had I gotten in next to him our son was asleep.

I looked at Bay worriedly "We have a problem here."

Bay nodded "He needs to start sleeping in his bed. We'll have to work on that. Leave him here today but as of tomorrow we should carry him back every time he comes."

I sighed "I can see some long and sleepless nights ahead of us."

Bay kissed me "And that's not even counting the baby-making part." She whispered in my ear.

I smiled at her "I guess I'll have to increase my coffee intake!"

Bay laughed "Good night. I need to sleep now. Someone tired me out."

I reached over Diego to kiss her.

"Sweet dreams. And Bay….I love you too."

I closed my eyes and was asleep instantly.

_I stood in my dress uniform at the small white desk which served as the altar in the garden of John's house. It was a beautiful day and the garden had been decorated with flowers and tents. This would be the last time I would stand here as the house had been stripped bare and was being sold in a couple of days, as part of John and Kathryn's less than amicable divorce._

_Bay had insisted that she wanted the wedding to be held here. It really hadn't mattered that much to me; all I wanted was for her to be my wife. I was glad however that our wedding had been the best excuse for Bay to reach out to John and for them to make amends. I knew how much she suffered from not talking to her father although she never mentioned him._

_I was pulled from my thoughts by the music and then I saw her. I held my breath when I looked at her. She looked absolutely stunning. The pale blue dress brought out the paleness of her skin and her hair was done in an incredibly elaborate looking updo with a few strands escaping and framing her face. _

_I stifled a small laugh at seeing her being led down the aisle by John on one side and Angelo on the other. I guess weirder things have happened. By the time she reached me, there were a lot of moist eyes, including John's, Angelo's and mine. _

_Even Toby, who was officiating, had to clear his voice. I was so emotional looking at Bay that I hardly heard what Toby said._

"_I, Tyler Mendoza, take you Bay Madeline Kennish, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part"_

_My voice choked when I said those words, then I had to smile when I saw our son tottering towards us, his face scrunched up in concentration, trying very hard not to drop the two rings that laid on top of the blue velvet cushion._

_He made it and smiled at me proudly when I reached down to pick up Bay's wedding band. Bay was rewarded with an equally proud smile when she reached to pick-up mine. _

"_I now_ _pronounce you man and wife_. _You may kiss the bride_". _I heard Toby's words and placed my hands around Bay's face. _

_Our kiss was short and sweet, but it was the best kiss ever. I would remember how she tasted that day for the rest of our lives._

_We turned around and smiled at Bay's family and our friends. Tank was my best man and he patted me on the back, while Daphne, Mary Beth and Aida huddled around Bay, all looking stunning in their dark red bridesmaid dresses._

_As I walked down the aisle with my wife I couldn't remember a time when I had been happier._

I felt a hand on my cheek and thinking it was Bay, I took it in mine. It wasn't Bay as I soon found out.

"Daddy wake-up, it's light outside. I want to ride my bike."

I opened my eyes and looked at Diego. I yawned and stretched. I couldn't remember the last time I'd had such a vivid dream.

Bay was looking at me with a smile.

"What were you dreaming about soldier? It must have been some dream by the look on your face."

"Our wedding." I said simply and was rewarded with a dazzling smile.

"It was beautiful, wasn't it?"

"It was the best day of my life." I said. I frowned at the shadow that passed across her face and pulled her towards me.

"I know love. He left you too soon. I'm glad that he got to walk you down the aisle and that he got to spend some time with Diego."

Bay smiled at me sadly "Yes. Sometimes I just miss him so much that is physically hurts."

I kissed the top of her head "I know. I'm sure he's watching over you and Diego from wherever that might be."

I wiped a tear from Bay's face. She looked at me and smiled.

"Yes. I'm sure he is. And probably creating havoc with whoever is with him."

Diego looked at Bay.

"Mommy sad?"

Bay tickled him "No, mommy is not sad. Mommy is happy because today we have a day off. Daddy doesn't work on Mondays."

I smiled at her "What do you want to do today?"

She grinned at me wickedly "Shop for a dress for my graduation."

I groaned loudly and she laughed.

"But you're lucky. I'll go by myself and you can take this little rascal out to ride his bike."

I kissed her "Thank you Bay!" I was so relieved.

_**Hope you liked this update. It is short and sweet. I felt I was a bit hard on Ty last chapter, so I wanted to show his soft side. Plus one of my favorite reviewers from Brazil asked for the wedding and this was how I could write it. Thank you again for all your reviews and support. 99…wow! Whoever gives me the 100**__**th**__** review gets to pick the content for the next chapter. Let me know what you want me to write about!**_


	25. Tank is back and Outch!

**Bay and Ty's apartment, September 2018**

**Tank:**

I rang the doorbell and waited. Ty opened the door two seconds later and we greeted each other with an embrace. It had been almost a year since I'd last seen him as I had left for Boston after graduating and had just done my Masters at Harvard.

Ty smiled at me "You look so prim and proper Tank, ready to be a big shot lawyer?"

I stepped in and sighed "I couldn't think of a more dreadful thing. I'm supposed to start as a first year associate at my father's law firm in one week."

"Can I get you some coffee?" Ty asked.

I accepted and sat at the kitchen table.

"Where's Diego and Bay?" I asked.

"Diego is at school and Bay is teaching an art class at Carlton. Monday is my day off, but for them it's a work day. We can collect Diego at one. Bay will be here around four."

I nodded "I can't wait to see how much he's grown."

"He's gotten so big. Do you ice skate? There's a new ring next door that opened last week, I was thinking of taking Diego there after school."

I laughed "Do I ice skate? What kind of question is that KC boy? Of course I do! I'm from the East Coast, we're all playing hockey while we're still in diapers. Do you ice skate Private?" I winked at him.

Ty shook his head "Not very well. I tried it once or twice. At least I don't fall much."

I smiled gleefully "I can't wait to do a sport with you at which I'm better."

Ty sat down at the table next to me "So what's the big news you wanted to tell me in person?"

"Aida is pregnant. She's due in April. We're getting married next month and I want you to be my best man."

Ty smiled "Congratulations man, that is some news. How does she like the life outside the Army."

"She loves not being in the Army. She's got a nice job at the hospital in Boston. The problem is that we both hate it up there."

Ty looked puzzled "I don't understand that. You're from Boston, she's from New York. You're home."

I ran a hand across my stubble.

"I know. But home is not always where the heart is. For now we'll stay put, but as soon as I can I'll move south."

Ty nodded "We'll be happy if you do. How long are you staying?"

"One week. I'm down at the frat house; they've invited me over to do some career coaching. How are things at the car wash?"

"They're good. Money is still tight until we pay off the loan, but the place is a money maker if it's well run. I have a great team with Travis as Assistant Manager and Mary-Beth doing the books."

I nodded "And Bay? Is she happy?"

"She's very excited to work at Carlton. It's her second week and she loves it. We're working on Diego having a brother or a sister soon."

I felt an odd pang "Wow, that's cool." The phone rang then and he got up to answer it.

He looked so content with the simple life they were living. I couldn't help but wonder if that would've been me had Bay and I stayed together. I loved Aida more than anything, but Bay would always have a special place in my heart. Hearing Ty talking about having another child made me think about Bay's pregnancy and Diego's birth and how happy I'd been then. Somehow even at that time it had seemed unreal, like she was never meant to be mine.

I'd been so glad that Ty had forgiven me for calling the police on him and at the same time I'd felt like I'd been punched in the gut when he'd told me that Bay and him were back together. It had been a hard six months for me ever since we'd broken up and deep down I knew that she'd had feelings for Ty all along, but to actually see them together had been difficult for me. Seeing was maybe the wrong word, as Bay didn't manage to forgive me for another six months after that, but I definitely conjured up images of the two in my mind. Meeting Aida had helped and although it had taken a long time for us to become a real couple, I now felt like I'd met my true soul mate.

It wasn't until we'd been dating for six months that she'd told me about her brief hook-up with Ty before she started dating Justin and I'd been more than shocked. Then I realized I had no reason to be as I'd slept with Bay as well. The weirdness of it all had kind of freaked me out a bit nonetheless.

Ty had finished his phone call and looked at his watch.

"Shall we go and collect Diego, then?" He asked.

"Sure thing."

We got in his car and drove the short distance to the school.

"For someone who runs a car wash, you couldn't have a dirtier car" I observed as I wrote my name in the dust on the windscreen.

Ty laughed "I know. It's embarrassing. Bay tells me I'm like the women who do her nails. They always have the worse ones. It's just too painful for me to run it through it after I've been doing nothing else all day. I even park it two blocks down the road now and walk so that no one will see it."

"I understand." I patted his back.

I couldn't believe how tall Diego had gotten as he ran towards Ty. He looked at me shyly and hid his face behind Ty's legs when I said hello.

"Diego, don't you remember your uncle Tank? He used to take you to the pool with me."

Diego frowned in concentration "You mean when I was little?"

I laughed "That's right. And now look how big you are. I guess you don't even like trucks anymore?" I handed him a present.

I was rewarded with a smile "I like trucks." He was already ripping the paper off "Look Daddy, is a fire truck."

Ty leaned down to examine it "Isn't that great! You didn't have one of those yet. What do you say?"

"Can I have a police truck as well?" Diego said with a serious expression and I had to stifle a laugh as Ty shot me a warning glance.

"That's rude son, what do you say to uncle Tank."

Diego had the grace to look bashful "Thank you." He extended his hand and I took it and shook it. "You're very welcome Diego, I'll keep the police truck in mind for my next visit. How about that?"

"Yes" He smiled at me and turned towards Ty "I'm hungry."

Ty ruffled his hair. "Today you're in for a treat. We're going to the ice-skating ring and you can have a hot dog."

Diego was already pulling Ty's hand "Let's go, let's go!"

I observed them both and thought that soon it would be me taking my son or daughter ice-skating. I smiled at the thought.

**Ty:**

It was good to see Tank. I didn't have many friends and I didn't particularly feel the need for them as my work and my family kept me too busy to think about socializing. Tank, Carter, Aida, Mary-Beth and Daphne were the only ones I considered my true friends.

I secured Diego in the car seat and drove in the direction of home. Once we arrived at the ice-skating ring we headed straight to the food concession and I ordered three hotdogs and some fries. Tank raised an eyebrow. I laughed.

"You know me so well. I hate these and they're reserved for special days. I'm sure Bay sneaks a few in behind my back though. She does not share my passion for healthy food."

Tank bit into his hotdog. "I can't believe that I don't actually enjoy these anymore. Ever since we first met I completely changed my eating habits. Aida is a health freak as well."

"I know." I said simply.

The same could obviously not be said for Diego as he devoured his hotdog with a look of utter delight. He was looking at the few people on the ice and tugged at my sleeve.

"Can we go now?" He asked.

I nodded and we made our way to rent the skates. I took hold of Diego's hand as we made it onto the ice. He looked confused when he felt the slippery floor beneath him. I held on to the rail and pulled him along. Tank overtook us in two seconds and zoomed along the ice.

He stopped next to us after one lap. "Hey Ty, not falling while holding the rail doesn't count, you know?"

"Hahaha, very funny Tank. I'm trying to multitask here."

Diego looked at me "I want to go fast with uncle Tank, Daddy."

Tank winked at me and took off pushing Diego in front of him. Diego shrieked with delight. While Tank was teaching Diego how to skate I tentatively let go of the rail and tried to skate. It was a lot harder than I thought. After half and hour Diego was skating by himself. I smiled at him proudly.

"You're doing so well! Let's go have some water and we'll come back." I was really the one who needed the break.

As we sat down I saw a tent being erected next to us. _Try Hockey for Free_ the sign read. The man smiled at me and pointed at Diego. "Does he want to try?"

I shook my head "He's too young I think."

Tank slapped me on the back "Not for hockey he isn't! Let him try it."

I relented and Diego was fitted with a t-shirt, a helmet and a stick. For the next hour he played with the coaches while I sat with Tank, who was observing Diego critically.

"He's got talent, you know." He said to me.

"You think?"

"Yes, you should seriously consider having him join a program."

I picked up a leaflet. It was expensive and that wasn't even counting the equipment.

"WHAT do you think you're doing?" I heard a more than familiar voice behind me.

"Hello to you too, sweetheart." I turned to face an irate Bay.

"Hockey, Ty? Seriously? He's three!"

This was not going well.

"It's a free trial class. And he's almost four." I said apologetically.

"And you chose one of the most dangerous sports?"

"He's doing really well Bay. If it was up to you he wouldn't do any sport at all. Let him try it. It's what they're here for."

"Did you plan this? Where you not going to tell me about it?"

I was getting angry now.

"I didn't plan a thing Bay, we went ice-skating and then we saw the sign. He's having fun. What's your problem?"

"My problem is that we take these decisions together Ty. You don't just put him in ice-hockey without telling me. I played field hockey, remember?"

I just snorted which made her even angrier.

"You? Field-hockey? I wish I could've seen that!"

Bay turned towards Tank angrily.

"Tank! Tell him!"

Tank looked from Bay to me uneasily.

"Well, hello to you too Bay! Nice to see you again. Yes, Ty, I guess she tried."

Bay turned to Tank "Was this your idea? Where you a big-shot hockey kid?"

"I wouldn't call myself a big-shot but yeah, I played. He's having fun Bay. Hockey starts around this age."

Bay was fuming "Yes, and when they're 12 they have no teeth."

Tank raised his hands "Come on Bay, now you're being a bit melodramatic. The teeth thing is not until they're 16 you know?"

I shot Tank a warning glance. There was no point stirring the pot when Bay got angry. He saw it and wisely shut-up.

Just then and to make matters worse Diego fell over and started crying. He was clutching his ankle.

Tank and I skated up to him just as the coach was removing his boot.

"It hurts Daddy, it hurts!" Diego was wailing.

"You better get him to the ER to do an X-ray. He was doing really well. You should bring him again." The coach said.

I picked-up Diego and walked towards Bay. She was beside herself with rage. I sat down with Diego on my lap and took off his other boot.

"We need to get him to the hospital." I said to Bay.

"You…you…" She didn't say anything. Whatever she was planning on saying must have been bad as she barely managed to contain herself in front of Diego.

Two hours later Diego cheerfully hobbled on his crutches towards Tank.

"Uncle Tank, I have a bad sprain and a cast. The doctor said my class can draw on it tomorrow." He turned towards Bay. "Mommy, when can I do hockey again?"

Bay pulled me out of earshot. Once we were around the corner she pushed hard against my chest.

"You asshole! I hope you're happy now that you managed to break both our ankles."

I looked at her incredulously.

"Jesus Bay, it was an accident. He'll be fine."

"He'll be FINE? He would've been FINE if you hadn't made him play….you know what? Go to hell! Don't bother coming home tonight."

I saw her collect Diego and then she was gone. Tank patted me on the shoulder.

"Guess you won't be getting her pregnant tonight."

I managed a small smile "Guess not. Possibly not for another month."

"Nahhh, the kid really enjoyed it. She'll come around. And she was a terrible field hockey player."

"No shit Sherlock! I wouldn't have guessed. You don't happen to have an extra bed in that frat room of yours, do you?"

Tank smiled "We'll figure something out for tonight, there's always an extra mattress somewhere. Let's go!"

_**This chapter was dedicated to EyesOnFire, my 100**__**th**__** reviewer and I happen to know that she's a BIG hockey fan! And I missed Tank so I had to bring him back. Do you want him to stick around or should I send him back to the East Coast? Let me know. Hope you enjoyed. Please review.**_


	26. The best news

**Bay:**

I was absolutely livid on the way home and tried very hard not to listen to Diego's incessant chattering about how much fun he'd had playing hockey. By the time I got to our apartment I longed for a glass of wine. I didn't drink so that was not an option. I settled Diego on the couch and propped a pillow under his foot. When I saw his bandaged ankle I started crying. Diego looked at me in surprise.

"Mommy, it doesn't hurt. Please don't cry."

I wiped my eyes and smiled at him. What the hell was wrong with me? I was not normally one to cry over stuff like this. Maybe it was the memory of my jump of that tower or Ty's despairing remarks about my athletic abilities. I dismissed that thought as we'd often shared a laugh about how terrible I was at sports.

Maybe it wasn't that bad that Diego started a sport. He was such a bundle of energy that it might be good for him to have an outlet for his steam. Had I been too hard on Ty? The more I thought about our conversation the worse I felt about myself. Still, I would not forgive him for taking decisions without consulting with me. I'd text him in the morning; tonight I needed to get my thoughts in order.

I let Diego chose a movie and I settled down with him on the couch until it was time for him to go to bed.

**Ty:**

I was puzzled by Bay's reaction to Diego's hockey. Ok, the injury had been the icing on the cake, but even before that she struck me as being irrational. Bay was not one to hold back, neither was I for that matter and we'd had our share of epic fights, but over something like this? It didn't strike me as normal Bay behavior.

I wanted to text her to know how Diego was doing, but I decided against it. I knew my wife well enough to know that it was better to leave her alone for the time being until she had a chance to cool down.

I did something that night that I hadn't done in a long time. I got wasted. What else was there to do when an ex-frat boy and an ex-soldier got out on the town? With no wife and no girlfriend to distract us, we decided to go on a pub-crawl. I hadn't been out at night in years and only ever had one or two beers in the evening before going to bed.

I found out the next morning that my body was not equipped to handle the levels of alcohol it used to.

I heard the distant ringing of the alarm clock I must have set last night, though I couldn't remember. My head was bursting. I blindly turned on the bare mattress trying desperately to locate the source of the torturous sound.

Tank moaned loudly "Fuck Ty, turn that thing off."

"I'm trying." I croaked out. I found it and the sound was gone. It was 7 AM. We must have had about three hours of sleep.

"I feel like shit." Tank said "What time is it?"

"Just past 7. My head is killing me. I haven't drunk so much since the night before we left Afghanistan."

"Crap, I have to be at the college at 8:30." Tank sounded worse than I did.

"I have to get to work. Where's the shower? Do you have aspirin?"

Tank pointed towards the direction of the shower and promised to look for some aspirin and I walked off unsteadily.

Once I got to the car wash Mary-Beth took one look at me and parked me in her office chair.

"Boss, there's no way you're talking to any clients today. I'll handle the front end."

I nodded at her gratefully and rested my pounding head in my hands.

**Bay:**

I didn't need an alarm clock. My three year old took care of that. We'd finally managed that he slept in his own bed after a month of sleepless nights and resorting the bribery at one point, one thing neither one of us was proud of. In the end it worked and now Diego only came to our bed at 7 sharp every morning. I stirred under the covers and wrapped my arms around him for our 10 minutes of cuddle time.

"How's your foot little monkey?" I asked him.

"It doesn't hurt. Can I go to school? The doctor said my friends can paint on it."

"I guess so. If it hurts too much you tell your teacher, ok?"

"Can we go to the ice place after school and watch the hockey?"

I rolled my eyes. I guess there was no point fighting this.

"We'll see how you're feeling. Breakfast?"

"Pancakes."

"No pancakes today, your dad's not here. Toast with butter or cereal."

"Where is daddy?" Diego looked at Ty's side of the bed.

"He had to leave for work early. He'll be back tonight."

Diego nodded and accepted my explanation. "Cereal". He didn't seem to notice that Ty hadn't spent the night and I was glad for that. I was feeling bad about the fight we'd had. I vowed to keep myself more in check in the future. With a child in the house it wasn't healthy to kick his father out.

I got out of bed and went to the kitchen. I turned on the coffee maker and took his cereal out of the cabinet. I took the milk out of the fridge and opened the lid. Next thing I knew I almost dropped the bottle. The wave of nausea was so sudden and powerful that I had to hold a hand in front of my mouth and I barely made it to the bathroom, where I vomited into the toilet bowl.

Diego had followed me.

"Mommy, are you ok?" He asked worriedly.

I washed my face and smiled at him. "I'm fine, just a stomach bug."

Diego nodded and wandered off. I sat on the toilet seat for a minute. Could I be? I examined my breasts and they did feel a bit tender. I must be. The milk was the give-away. The same thing happened with Diego. There was only one way to know for sure. I looked through the medicine cabinet and located the pregnancy test. Before I opened it I went to check on Diego and turned on the TV for him. We never let him watch cartoons in the morning, but right now I needed some privacy.

I followed the instructions and waited impatiently for the result. Then it came, two little pink stripes. Positive! I smiled. We did it. I was pregnant. Now it all made sense. The angry outburst, the crying. I looked for my phone to text Ty, then thought about surprising him with a more intimate celebration. For that I needed Diego out of the house. I was lucky that I didn't have to teach on Tuesdays. I got Diego ready and had a shower. I rummaged through the bottom of my drawer and found the sexy, black bodice I'd purchased the previous week. Smiling to myself I got dressed and left to take Diego to school.

**Ty:**

I was feeling marginally better after one hour, but my head was still pounding. Travis stuck his head through the door to check on me and shook his head with a smile when he saw my face.

"Rough night Boss?" He signed.

I nodded.

"Tank?"

I nodded again.

"We're not as young anymore. Alcohol can kill us these days." He signed slowly "Don't worry, everything is under control. Slow day. Go home if you want."

"Thanks Travis, you're right. We're getting old. I'll stick around for a bit."

Travis left. I confessed that I preferred the quiet environment of my office to an angry Bay. Especially in the state I was in. I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket. It was a message from Bay.

**Not feeling well. In bed. Can you come home?**

I picked up my keys worriedly. Bay was never sick. I looked for MB and explained the situation to her and she promised to take care of everything with Travis.

Once I got home I quietly opened the door and went into the bedroom. I found Bay in bed with the sheet pulled up to her chin. I sat down on the bed. She looked at me critically and wrinkled her nose.

"What happened to you? Have you been drinking?"

I looked at her bashfully "I might have had one or two too many yesterday."

"Because of me?" She looked horrified.

"Not really. More because I was out on the town with Tank, since I had nothing better to do. I'm sorry that I got Diego hurt."

I was surprised to see her smile "I'm sorry I overreacted. He's ok. He had a good time. I'll think twice about kicking you out next time if all you do is go out partying."

I smiled and winked at her "Well, I guess I was drowning my sorrows after fighting with my wife. Which left me heartbroken."

Bay laughed "Yeah, right!"

I stroked her cheek "What's wrong babes? You don't look ill, in fact you look much better than I do."

"My stomach feels funny." She took my hand and guided it to her stomach under the sheet.

I raised my eyebrows in surprise as I felt the lacy fabric under my hand. I pulled at the bedcover. When it came off my eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. There was my wife in possibly the sexiest underwear I'd ever seen.

"Christ Bay! Do you want to give me a heart attack? Wow! You look beautiful."

Bay flashed me a radiant smile. "Are you joining me in bed?"

My headache disappeared instantly "Oh yes! Is it that time of the month again? Are we trying?" I was already pulling off my clothes.

I lay down next to her and moved to kiss her. She took my hand and put it on top of her stomach again.

"We don't have to worry about that time of the month anymore." She whispered with moist eyes.

I looked at her puzzled "I don't understand…!"

"I'm pregnant. I found out this morning."

I paused in my tracks "Oh my God, are you sure?"

"Pretty sure, the symptoms matched and the test was positive. We'll know for sure when I go to the doctor, but I went through this once already and I recognize the signs."

I moved down and kissed her flat belly "You can't imagine how happy I am to hear that."

Bay moved to straddle me. "Are you well enough to show me how happy you are, or is your hangover too bad?"

I flipped her over "What hangover?"

_**Awwwww Bay is pregnant. I wonder if it will be another boy or a girl. What do you think? Please review.**_


	27. A new heartbeat

**Bay:**

I returned Ty's passionate kiss and winced slightly as he ran his hands over my breasts. He looked up in concern.

"What's wrong babes?"

"Nothing, they feel a bit more sensitive than usual." I smiled at him. "You know…"

Ty kissed my chest gently. "Sorry, I didn't. I'll focus on other parts of your beautiful body instead."

He moved his hands down towards my thighs and I moaned when he reached his target.

"I love this sexy thing, Bay. But right now I want it off. Can you help me with that?"

I laughed and wiggled out of the constricting piece of clothing. I heard my phone ringing in the distance.

"Should I get that?" I asked Ty.

"Definitely not" He whispered in my ear as he ran his tongue along my earlobe.

"What if it's Diego's school? His foot…" I asked concerned.

"Then they'll call me as well. I'll answer if my phone rings. It's on the floor there."

Ty's phone didn't ring and I heard my phone ringing once again. Ty was right, if it wasn't about Diego it wasn't important right now. I focused on Ty and our love making and soon I wasn't thinking of anything else.

"I liked that." I said to Ty as I rested my head on the pillow.

He smiled at me "I know you liked that. So do all our neighbors."

I blushed "Sorry, it's just that we don't ever get to do this with Diego out of the house."

He pulled the hair back from my face. "Hey, don't mind me. I love it when you're loud."

"Can you bring me my phone? It's on the kitchen table. I just want to make sure it's not Carlton."

Ty groaned but got up and brought me my phone. He kissed my belly and lay back down next to me. I opened the missed calls. One was from my mother and the other from Emmett.

Ty frowned. "Emmett? Talk about a passion killer. What does he want?"

I shrugged. "I have no idea. Maybe he's in town. He probably just wants to meet for a coffee."

"You can call him back later. I don't really want to spend my morning in bed watching you talk to your ex."

I frowned "No, you rather get stupidly drunk with my other ex instead."

"Tank's different. He's my friend. And he doesn't have feelings for you."

"Neither does Emmett, Ty." I was getting slightly irritated.

"Yeah right, I believe it when I see it. Listen…I'm sorry. I don't want to fight. He's your friend and I try to respect that."

"I don't want to fight either. I want to celebrate. I'm just going to call my mother."

"Are you going to tell her?"

"Yes, but I don't want to tell anyone else for now. Not before we've been to the doctor."

I called Kathryn, who answered on the first ring. She sounded excited.

"Bay, good that you called back. I have wonderful news."

"So do I mom. You first."

"You remember that painting of the giraffe you sent me for my birthday? I hung it up in the office and my boss saw it and showed it to the author of a new children's book we're publishing. He liked it so much he wants you to illustrate."

My mouth flew open. I swatted away Ty's hand, which was moving up my leg again.

"Mom, that's wonderful. I'm so happy to hear that! What do I need to do?"

"They need you here for a meeting sometime next month. They'll pay for the flights and the hotel. It will take about a week. You can stay with me of course, but maybe you'll want to be in the city if Ty and Diego come with you. Diego hasn't been here since he was one."

"I'm so excited mom. I'll speak to Ty right now. And I have to speak to Carlton once you have the dates. I'll call you back."

"Bay…wait! What did you want to tell me?"

"Oh…right! I think I might be pregnant. Don't tell anyone yet, we still need to go to the doctor."

I heard Kathryn gasp on the other end "Bay, I'm so happy for you and Ty. That didn't take very long. Does Diego know?"

"Not yet, I literally just found out this morning." I smiled.

"I'd love to have a little granddaughter." Kathryn sighed wistfully.

"We're hoping for a girl as well."

She asked about Diego and I told her about the hockey and the sprained ankle. My mother didn't seem too bothered about it.

"You'll have to deal with a lot of injuries Bay. As long as they're not life-threatening it's just a part of growing-up. Give him a kiss for me."

"Will do. And mom…thank you. Thank you so much! You don't know what this means for me."

Kathryn laughed.

"Don't thank me Bay. It's your accomplishment. I just hung the painting."

"Speak to you soon, mom!"

"I'll call you as soon as I have more information on dates. And let me know what the doctor said."

I promised I would and ended the call. I smiled at Ty.

"What was that about?" He asked.

I related the conversation to him and hugged him. "It's happening Ty, it really is happening!"

He held me close.

"I'm sooooo happy for you, sweetheart. Maybe we can combine it with Tank's wedding."

"What wedding? Tank's getting married?"

Ty told me about his conversation with Ty and Aida's pregnancy. I opened my eyes in surprise.

"Wow! I had no idea. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because, my dear, you were too busy being angry at me. I'm sorry. I didn't know you felt so strongly about hockey. He won't go again."

I ran my hands across his chest.

"No…it was stupid. He was so excited, he wants to go and watch them today. He should do it if he wants to. I think it was my hormones."

Ty smiled "Well, then I guess I'll have to spend some nights at the carwash for the next 7 months."

I looked up in horror.

"No, Ty, no! I felt so bad this morning when Diego asked for you. It can't happen again."

"Works for me. Do you want to call the doctor?"

I nodded and made the call. His schedule was full, but as if by luck a patient had cancelled for the afternoon. I confirmed that I would come.

"They only have availability for today. I'll text the babysitter to see if she's available. We shouldn't tell Diego yet."

"I agree. I'll call her."

Diana confirmed that she could stay with Diego for two hours. I leaned back on the bed and looked at the clock.

"What a busy morning this turned out to be. We need to collect Diego in two hours. Any idea what we could do in the mean time?" I ran my hand across Ty's chest, before lowering it.

He groaned and pulled my head towards his.

Not five minutes after Ty moved off me he was asleep. I smiled when I heard him snoring. They must have had a really short night. I'd never seen Ty taking a nap mid-morning before. Shortly before I had to leave to collect Diego, I debated whether to wake him up, but he was sleeping so deeply that I quietly put on my clothes and left.

Diego cheerfully hobbled towards me and proudly showed me his cast which now boasted the scribbles of his classmates.

"Everyone signed it mommy. Look!"

"That looks so nice Diego. And so colorful."

"Can we keep it after it comes off?" Diego asked hopefully.

"Maybe, we'll have to ask the nurse when he takes it off."

"Are we going to the ice place?"

"Not today, your dad and I have to go out for a little bit this afternoon and you'll have to stay with Diana."

"Can I come with you and daddy?"

"Not today. We won't be gone long, I promise."

We got home and Diego hobbled in behind me. He saw Ty's jacket hanging over the chair.

"Is daddy here?" He asked me.

"Yes, but he's sleeping. Stay here for a second and I'll check if he's awake."

I carefully opened the door to the bedroom. Ty stirred and looked at me in confusion.

"Do we need to go and collect Diego?"

"No, I already did. You were sleeping so soundly I didn't have the heart to wake you up."

"Geez, thanks. I can't handle alcohol anymore. I never sleep during the day. I feel much better now."

"Your son wants to come and see you. You might want to put on some clothes."

Ty nodded and pulled on his boxers and jeans. I picked-up Diego and deposited him on the bed.

"Daddy, you want to see what my friends painted on my foot?"

I smiled and shook my head and left them to it.

They came into the kitchen soon after.

"Mommy, can I have cereal? I'm hungry."

"I guess so." I took the box out of the cabinet.

Ty took the bottle of milk from the fridge and drank greedily. I put my hand in front of my mouth again and ran to the bathroom.

Ty ran after me. "What's wrong Bay? I felt his hand on my neck as I emptied the contents of my stomach into the toilet bowl."

"Take it away…please." I retched again.

Ty removed his hand "Sorry" He murmured.

"Not your hand, the milk. Take it away. Oh no!" The nausea hit me again.

Ty was back seconds later. I washed my face.

"You can't deal with milk?" He asked me puzzled.

"I can't. It's the smell. I hate milk on any given day, but now I can't be near it. That's why I suspected I was pregnant. The same happened with Diego."

"I better deal with the cereal then. Sorry for that, I had no idea."

"No, it's ok. You couldn't have known."

I saw a shadow pass across his face.

"No…I couldn't."

I looked up at him concerned "Are you going to be ok with this? I know it's difficult for you."

He ran his hand across his face "I'm fine. Of course I'll be ok. It's just that I keep thinking of all I missed…"

I took his hand "Can we start over? Today we might hear its heartbeat. I want to enjoy that with you."

He squeezed my hand "Of course. There's nothing I'd like more."

Diego stuck his head around the door.

"Mommy has a bad tummy. Do you need my sticks to walk?" He said seriously.

I laughed "No, but thank you baby, mommy is fine." The doorbell rang.

"Why don't you go with your dad? It might be Diana."

The doctor removed his glasses after listening to my symptoms. He smiled at us.

"Mrs. Mendoza, I'm going to draw some blood just to make sure, but it seems to me that you're almost certainly pregnant. I'll schedule an ultrasound while we wait for the results."

We waited for half an hour then were led to the ultrasound room. I took a deep breath when I saw the familiar set-up. I couldn't believe how happy I was today and how miserable I'd been four years ago when I'd entered a similar room. I thought about Diego and how I'd almost lost him and felt a violent pang. It nearly knocked the wind out of me. Ty looked at me concerned

"Bay, are you ok? You look white as a sheet."

I took another deep breath "I'm fine. Just a bit dizzy."

The ultrasound technician smiled at me and I lay on the bed. Once she'd gotten me ready, I looked at the screen closely.

"Mrs. Mendoza, I know that you're waiting for the blood work, but let me be the first to congratulate you. You are pregnant. Here's your baby."

She pointed at a grainy area and I felt Ty's hand squeezing mine. I smiled at him.

"Let's turn up the sound." The technician turned a button and we could hear a loud whooshing sound.

"Just give me one second…ah there it is. That's the heartbeat."

And then we heard it. A fast pulsing sound. I looked at Ty and saw that he had tears in his eyes.

"That's the most beautiful thing." He whispered.

"How far along am I? Can you tell?" I asked the girl.

She took a couple of measurements.

"Do you remember the date of your last period?" She asked me.

I asked Ty for my phone. I'd gotten used to keeping a record ever since we started trying.

I tapped at the screen "July 6".

She nodded "That makes sense. I'd say you're 8 weeks into the pregnancy. The baby should be due in April."

I looked at her in astonishment. Eight weeks! And I hadn't noticed anything until now.

"Can you see the sex?" I heard Ty ask.

She smiled at him "It's a bit soon for that dad. We should be able to tell in about 4 weeks."

"Is everything ok?" I asked anxiously.

"As far as I can see everything looks good. We'll run a few tests over the next couple of days and call you if anything."

I nodded gratefully and she printed a grainy picture and handed it to Ty.

"I've circled the baby. You can boast to everyone at work."

Ty smiled and carefully put the print-out in his wallet. "Thank you."

We were done and after scheduling the next appointment we walked out into the parking lot.

As we got to the car Ty stood behind me and placed his hands on my belly.

"Bay, that was the most amazing thing. Hearing our baby's heartbeat for the first time. I'll never forget that."

I stroked his hands "I know. It was great."

"I love you Bay. And Diego. And this baby, for which we'll pick a name soon."

I leaned into his chest. "I know you do. And we all love you."

_**I loved writing this chapter. I'm traveling today for two weeks and will try and update when I can. Is the story getting too long or should it continue? Let me know. Looking forward to your reviews as always.**_


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